1
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Jiang H, Nace R, Carrasco TF, Zhang L, Whye Peng K, Russell SJ. Oncolytic varicella-zoster virus engineered with ORF8 deletion and armed with drug-controllable interleukin-12. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008307. [PMID: 38527762 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The varicella-zoster virus (VZV), belonging to the group of human α-herpesviruses, has yet to be developed as a platform for oncolytic virotherapy, despite indications from clinical case reports suggesting a potential association between VZV infection and cancer remission. METHODS Here, we constructed oncolytic VZV candidates based on the vaccine strain vOka and the laboratory strain Ellen. These newly engineered viruses were subsequently assessed for their oncolytic properties in the human MeWo melanoma xenograft model and the mouse B16-F10-nectin1 melanoma syngeneic model. RESULTS In the MeWo xenograft model, both vOka and Ellen exhibited potent antitumor efficacy. However, it was observed that introducing a hyperfusogenic mutation into glycoprotein B led to a reduction in VZV's effectiveness. Notably, the deletion of ORF8 (encodes viral deoxyuridine triphosphatase) attenuated the replication of VZV both in vitro and in vivo, but it did not compromise VZV's oncolytic potency. We further armed the VZV Ellen-ΔORF8 vector with a tet-off controlled mouse single-chain IL12 (scIL12) gene cassette. This augmented virus was validated for its oncolytic activity and triggered systemic antitumor immune responses in the immunocompetent B16-F10-nectin1 model. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the potential of using Ellen-ΔORF8-tet-off-scIL12 as a novel VZV-based oncolytic virotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifei Jiang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Rebecca Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kah Whye Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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2
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Jiang H, Nace R, Ariail E, Ma Y, McGlinch E, Ferguson C, Fernandez Carrasco T, Packiriswamy N, Zhang L, Peng KW, Russell SJ. Oncolytic α-herpesvirus and myeloid-tropic cytomegalovirus cooperatively enhance systemic antitumor responses. Mol Ther 2024; 32:241-256. [PMID: 37927036 PMCID: PMC10787119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic virotherapy aims to activate host antitumor immunity. In responsive tumors, intratumorally injected herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) have been shown to lyse tumor cells, resulting in local inflammation, enhanced tumor antigen presentation, and boosting of antitumor cytotoxic lymphocytes. In contrast to HSV, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is nonlytic and reprograms infected myeloid cells, limiting their antigen-presenting functions and protecting them from recognition by natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we show that when co-injected into mouse tumors with an oncolytic HSV, mouse CMV (mCMV) preferentially targeted tumor-associated myeloid cells, promoted the local release of proinflammatory cytokines, and enhanced systemic antitumor immune responses, leading to superior control of both injected and distant contralateral tumors. Deletion of mCMV genes m06, which degrades major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I), or m144, a viral MHC class I homolog that inhibits NK activation, was shown to diminish the antitumor activity of the HSV/mCMV combination. However, an mCMV recombinant lacking the m04 gene, which escorts MHC class I to the cell surface, showed superior HSV adjuvanticity. CMV is a potentially promising agent with which to reshape and enhance antitumor immune responses following oncolytic HSV therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifei Jiang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Rebecca Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Emily Ariail
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yejun Ma
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Erin McGlinch
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Coryn Ferguson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kah Whye Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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3
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Kamenšek U, Remic T. Immunospot Assessment of T-Cell Responses in Preclinical Tumor Models with Undefined Target Antigens. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2773:165-174. [PMID: 38236545 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3714-2_15] [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: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Assessment of functional tumor-specific T-cell responses in preclinical tumor models represents an important tool for successful translation of new immunotherapies to clinics. Usually, it requires a known tumor antigen target. Here, we describe the method to detect tumor-specific T cell after immunotherapies without a known antigen. Splenocytes, lymph node immune cells, or PBMCs are isolated from treated mice and stimulated with relevant tumor cells ex vivo before immunospot analysis of Granzyme B and interferon γ-positive T cells. The method is especially valuable for monitoring tumor-specific T cells after vaccination with various whole tumor vaccines or after in situ vaccination and other antigen agnostic immunotherapies, where no specific antigens are used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urška Kamenšek
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tinkara Remic
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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4
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Bulgarelli J, Piccinini C, Petracci E, Pancisi E, Granato AM, de Rosa F, Guidoboni M, Petrini M, Ancarani V, Foschi G, Romeo A, Tontini L, De Giorgi U, Lolli C, Gentili G, Valmorri L, Rossi A, Ferroni F, Casadei C, Cortesi P, Crudi L, Ridolfi L. Radiotherapy and High-Dose Interleukin-2: Clinical and Immunological Results of a Proof of Principle Study in Metastatic Melanoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2021; 12:778459. [PMID: 34777395 PMCID: PMC8578837 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.778459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
High-dose interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) has curative potential in metastatic melanoma (MM) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Radiotherapy (RT) kills cancer cells and induces immunomodulatory effects. Prospective trials exploring clinical and immunological properties of combined RT/HD IL-2 are still needed. We designed a phase II, single-arm clinical trial for patients with MM and RCC. The treatment schedule consisted of 3 daily doses of 6-12 Gy of RT to 1-5 non-index metastatic fields, before IL-2 at the first and third treatment cycle. HD IL-2 was administered by continuous infusion for 72 hours and repeated every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles, thereafter every 4 weeks for a maximum of 2 cycles. The primary endpoint was the immunological efficacy of the combined RT/HD IL-2 treatment (assessed by IFN-γ ELISPOT). Nineteen out of 22 patients were evaluable for immunological and clinical response. Partial response occurred in 3 (15.7%) patients and stable disease was observed in 7 (36.8%). The disease control rate was 52.6% after a median follow up of 39.2 months. According to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.0 (CTCAE 4.0), the majority of toxicities were grade 1-2. Immunological responses were frequent and detected in 16 (84.2%) patients. Increased levels of IL-8 and IL-10 in melanoma, circulating effector memory CD4+ and intratumoral CD8+ T cells in both tumor types were detected after therapy. Overall the treatment was well tolerated and immunologically active. Immunomonitoring and correlative data on tumor and peripheral blood cell subsets suggest that this combination treatment could be a promising strategy for patients progressing after standard treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Bulgarelli
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Claudia Piccinini
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Petracci
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Elena Pancisi
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Granato
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Francesco de Rosa
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Massimo Guidoboni
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Petrini
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Valentina Ancarani
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Giovanni Foschi
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Antonino Romeo
- Radiotherapy Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Luca Tontini
- Radiotherapy Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Ugo De Giorgi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Cristian Lolli
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Giorgia Gentili
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Linda Valmorri
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Alice Rossi
- Radiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferroni
- Radiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Carla Casadei
- Anesthesiology Service, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Pietro Cortesi
- Cardio-Oncology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Laura Crudi
- Oncology Pharmacy Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Laura Ridolfi
- Immunotherapy, Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
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5
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Thomas SK, Cha SC, Smith DL, Kim KH, Parshottam SR, Rao S, Popescu M, Lee VY, Neelapu SS, Kwak LW. Phase I study of an active immunotherapy for asymptomatic phase Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with DNA vaccines encoding antigen-chemokine fusion: study protocol. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:187. [PMID: 29439670 PMCID: PMC5812202 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4094-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is now a renewed interest in cancer vaccines. Patients responding to immune checkpoint blockade usually bear tumors that are heavily infiltrated by T cells and express a high load of neoantigens, indicating that the immune system is involved in the therapeutic effect of these agents; this finding strongly supports the use of cancer vaccine strategies. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is a low grade, incurable disease featuring an abnormal proliferation of Immunoglobulin (Ig)-producing malignant cells. Asymptomatic patients are currently managed by a "watchful waiting" approach, as available therapies provide no survival advantage if started before symptoms develop. Idiotypic determinants of a lymphoma surface Ig, formed by the interaction of the variable regions of heavy and light chains, can be used as a tumor-specific marker and effective vaccination using idiotypes was demonstrated in a positive controlled phase III trial. METHODS These variable region genes can be cloned and used as a DNA vaccine, a delivery system holding tremendous potential for streamlining vaccine production. To increase vaccination potency, we are targeting antigen-presenting cells (APCs) by fusing the antigen with a sequence encoding a chemokine (MIP-3α), which binds an endocytic surface receptor on APCs. Asymptomatic phase LPL is an excellent model to test our vaccine since patients have not received chemotherapeutics that interfere with innate immune function and have low tumor burden. We are evaluating the safety of this next-generation DNA vaccine in a first-in-human clinical trial currently enrolling asymptomatic LPL patients. To elucidate the mode of action of this vaccine, we will assess its ability to generate tumor-specific immune responses and examine changes in the immune profile of both the peripheral blood and bone marrow. DISCUSSION This vaccine could shift the current paradigm of clinical management for patients with asymptomatic LPL and inform development of other personalized approaches. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01209871; registered on September 24, 2010.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeba K Thomas
- Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Soung-Chul Cha
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - D Lynne Smith
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Kun Hwa Kim
- Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sapna R Parshottam
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sheetal Rao
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Michael Popescu
- Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Vincent Y Lee
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Sattva S Neelapu
- Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Larry W Kwak
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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6
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Case Report: Immune-mediated Complete Response in a Patient With Recurrent Advanced Ewing Sarcoma (EWS) After Vigil Immunotherapy. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2017; 39:e183-e186. [PMID: 28338569 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000000822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a highly resistant disease with a <10% chance of survival at 5 years after failure of frontline chemotherapy. This is a case report of an Ewing sarcoma patient with metastatic disease recurrence <2 years after standard chemotherapy/radiation who achieved a durable and sustained complete response after 2 series of treatments with Vigil (GMCSF/bi-shRNA furin DNA autologous tumor immunotherapy) serially manufactured from first and second recurrences with ELISPOT assay correlation. Results support justification of further testing of Vigil with ELISPOT assay as a biomarker to assess level of immune response and correlation with disease control.
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7
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Navarrete MA. ELISpot and DC-ELISpot Assay to Measure Frequency of Antigen-Specific IFNγ-Secreting Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1318:79-86. [PMID: 26160566 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2742-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
ELISpot is a highly sensitive method in immunology to enumerate cells producing a given cytokine. Cells are stimulated in a microtiter plate pre-coated with a specific anti-analyte antibody. In response to the stimulation, cells release cytokines that are bound to the anti-analyte antibody. After a washing step, which removes the cells from the wells, the location of the cytokine-releasing cell is visualized by an enzyme-labeled detection antibody and its corresponding chromogenic substrate. The end result is a set of colored spots, each of which represents an area where a cell secreting the cytokine had been located. Here we describe the standard ELISpot protocol and a variation denominated dendritic cell (DC)-ELISpot for the detection of IFNγ-secreting cells upon stimulation with oligopeptides and protein antigens, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo A Navarrete
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC, The Netherlands,
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8
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Improvement of IFNg ELISPOT Performance Following Overnight Resting of Frozen PBMC Samples Confirmed Through Rigorous Statistical Analysis. Cells 2014; 4:1-18. [PMID: 25546016 PMCID: PMC4381205 DOI: 10.3390/cells4010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune monitoring of functional responses is a fundamental parameter to establish correlates of protection in clinical trials evaluating vaccines and therapies to boost antigen-specific responses. The IFNg ELISPOT assay is a well-standardized and validated method for the determination of functional IFNg-producing T-cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); however, its performance greatly depends on the quality and integrity of the cryopreserved PBMC. Here, we investigate the effect of overnight (ON) resting of the PBMC on the detection of CD8-restricted peptide-specific responses by IFNg ELISPOT. The study used PBMC from healthy donors to evaluate the CD8 T-cell response to five pooled or individual HLA-A2 viral peptides. The results were analyzed using a modification of the existing distribution free resampling (DFR) recommended for the analysis of ELISPOT data to ensure the most rigorous possible standard of significance. The results of the study demonstrate that ON resting of PBMC samples prior to IFNg ELISPOT increases both the magnitude and the statistical significance of the responses. In addition, a comparison of the results with a 13-day preculture of PBMC with the peptides before testing demonstrates that ON resting is sufficient for the efficient evaluation of immune functioning.
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9
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Kuerten S, Batoulis H, Recks MS, Karacsony E, Zhang W, Subbramanian RA, Lehmann PV. Resting of Cryopreserved PBMC Does Not Generally Benefit the Performance of Antigen-Specific T Cell ELISPOT Assays. Cells 2012; 1:409-27. [PMID: 24710483 PMCID: PMC3901103 DOI: 10.3390/cells1030409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Revised: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell monitoring is increasingly performed using cryopreserved PBMC. It has been suggested that resting of PBMC after thawing, that is, culturing them overnight in test medium, produces higher antigen-induced spot counts in ELISPOT assays. To evaluate the importance of overnight resting, we systematically tested cryopreserved PBMC from 25 healthy donors. CEF peptides (comprising CMV, EBV and flu antigens) were used to stimulate CD8 cells and mumps antigen to stimulate CD4 cells. The data show that resting significantly increased antigen-elicited T cell responses only for CEF high responder PBMC. The maximal gain observed was doubling of spot counts. For CEF low responders, and for mumps responders of either low- or high reactivity levels, resting had no statistically significant effect on the observed spot counts. Therefore, resting is not a generally applicable approach to improve ELISPOT assay performance, but can be recommended only for clinical subject cohorts and antigens for which it has a proven benefit. Because resting invariably leads to losing about half of the PBMC available for testing, and because doubling the PBMC numbers plated into the assay reliably doubles the antigen-induced spot counts, we suggest the latter approach as a simple and reliable alternative to resting for enhancing the performance of ELISPOT assays. Our data imply that resting is not required if PBMC were cryopreserved and thawed under conditions that minimize apoptosis of the cells. Therefore, this study should draw attention to the need to optimize freezing and thawing conditions for successful T cell work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Kuerten
- Department of Anatomy I, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Helena Batoulis
- Department of Anatomy I, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Mascha S Recks
- Department of Anatomy I, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Edith Karacsony
- Cellular Technology Ltd. (C.T.L), Shaker Heights, OH 44122, USA.
| | - Wenji Zhang
- Cellular Technology Ltd. (C.T.L), Shaker Heights, OH 44122, USA.
| | | | - Paul V Lehmann
- Cellular Technology Ltd. (C.T.L), Shaker Heights, OH 44122, USA.
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10
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Malyguine AM, Strobl S, Dunham K, Shurin MR, Sayers TJ. ELISPOT Assay for Monitoring Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL) Activity in Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trials. Cells 2012; 1:111-26. [PMID: 24710418 PMCID: PMC3901085 DOI: 10.3390/cells1020111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2012] [Revised: 04/30/2012] [Accepted: 05/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The profiling and monitoring of immune responses are key elements in the evaluation of the efficacy and development of new biotherapies, and a number of assays have been introduced for analyzing various immune parameters before, during, and after immunotherapy. The choice of immune assays for a given clinical trial depends on the known or suggested immunomodulating mechanisms associated with the tested therapeutic modality. Cell-mediated cytotoxicity represents a key mechanism in the immune response to various pathogens and tumors. Therefore, the selection of monitoring methods for the appropriate assessment of cell-mediated cytotoxicity is thought to be crucial. Assays that can detect both cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) frequency and function, such as the IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) have gained increasing popularity for monitoring clinical trials and in basic research. Results from various clinical trials, including peptide and whole tumor cell vaccination and cytokine treatment, have shown the suitability of the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay for monitoring T cell responses. However, the Granzyme B ELISPOT assay and Perforin ELISPOT assay may represent a more direct analysis of cell-mediated cytotoxicity as compared to the IFN-γ ELISPOT, since Granzyme B and perforin are the key mediators of target cell death via the granule-mediated pathway. In this review we analyze our own data and the data reported by others with regard to the application of various modifications of ELISPOT assays for monitoring CTL activity in clinical vaccine trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoli M Malyguine
- Applied and Developmental Research Support Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Susan Strobl
- Applied and Developmental Research Support Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Kimberly Dunham
- Applied and Developmental Research Support Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| | - Michael R Shurin
- Departments of Pathology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| | - Thomas J Sayers
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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11
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Malyguine AM, Strobl SL, Shurin MR. Immunological monitoring of the tumor immunoenvironment for clinical trials. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2012; 61:239-247. [PMID: 22080408 PMCID: PMC11028845 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-011-1148-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring of immunotherapeutic clinical trials has undergone a considerable change in the last decade resulting in a general agreement that immune monitoring should guide the development of cancer vaccines. The emphasis on immune cell functions and quantitation of antigen-specific T cells have been playing a major role in the attempts to establish meaningful correlations between therapy-induced alterations in immune responses and clinical endpoints. However, one significant unresolved issue in modern immunotherapy is that when a tumor-specific cellular immune response is observed following the course of immunotherapy, it does not always lead to clinically proven cancer regression. This disappointing lack of a correlation between the tumor-specific cytotoxic immune responses and the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy may be explained, among other reasons, by the notion that the analysis of any single immunological parameter is not sufficient to provide clinically feasible information about the complex interactions between different cell subsets in the peripheral blood and immune, tumor, and stromal cells in the tumor milieu. By contrast, a systemic approach is required for improving the quality of a serial monitoring to ensure that it adequately and reliably measures potential changes induced in patients by administered vaccines or immunomodulators. Comprehensive evaluation of the balance between the immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive compartments of the immune system could be critical for a better understanding of how a given immunotherapy works or does not work in a particular clinical trial. New approaches to characterize tumor-infiltrating leukocytes, their phenotypic, biochemical, and genetic characteristics within the tumor microenvironment need to be developed and validated and should complement current monitoring techniques. These immune-monitoring assays for the local tumor immunoenvironment should be developed, validated, and standardized for reliability and consistency in order to establish the overall performance standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoli M Malyguine
- Laboratory of Cell-Mediated Immunity, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., P.O. Box B, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
| | - Susan L Strobl
- Laboratory of Cell-Mediated Immunity, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., P.O. Box B, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Michael R Shurin
- Department of Pathology, Division of Clinical Immunopathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Butterfield LH, Palucka AK, Britten CM, Dhodapkar MV, Håkansson L, Janetzki S, Kawakami Y, Kleen TO, Lee PP, Maccalli C, Maecker HT, Maino VC, Maio M, Malyguine A, Masucci G, Pawelec G, Potter DM, Rivoltini L, Salazar LG, Schendel DJ, Slingluff CL, Song W, Stroncek DF, Tahara H, Thurin M, Trinchieri G, van Der Burg SH, Whiteside TL, Wigginton JM, Marincola F, Khleif S, Fox BA, Disis ML. Recommendations from the iSBTc-SITC/FDA/NCI Workshop on Immunotherapy Biomarkers. Clin Cancer Res 2011; 17:3064-76. [PMID: 21558394 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-10-2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To facilitate development of innovative immunotherapy approaches, especially for treatment concepts exploiting the potential benefits of personalized therapy, there is a need to develop and validate tools to identify patients who can benefit from immunotherapy. Despite substantial effort, we do not yet know which parameters of antitumor immunity to measure and which assays are optimal for those measurements. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The iSBTc-SITC (International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer-Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and NCI (National Cancer Institute) partnered to address these issues for immunotherapy of cancer. Here, we review the major challenges, give examples of approaches and solutions, and present our recommendations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Although specific immune parameters and assays are not yet validated, we recommend following standardized (accurate, precise, and reproducible) protocols and use of functional assays for the primary immunologic readouts of a trial; consideration of central laboratories for immune monitoring of large, multi-institutional trials; and standardized testing of several phenotypic and functional potential potency assays specific to any cellular product. When reporting results, the full QA (quality assessment)/QC (quality control) should be conducted and selected examples of truly representative raw data and assay performance characteristics should be included. Finally, to promote broader analysis of multiple aspects of immunity, and gather data on variability, we recommend that in addition to cells and serum, RNA and DNA samples be banked (under standardized conditions) for later testing. We also recommend that sufficient blood be drawn to allow for planned testing of the primary hypothesis being addressed in the trial, and that additional baseline and posttreatment blood is banked for testing novel hypotheses (or generating new hypotheses) that arise in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa H Butterfield
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
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13
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Autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell recognition of autologous proliferating tumor cells in the context of a patient-specific vaccine trial. J Biomed Biotechnol 2011; 2011:635850. [PMID: 21541189 PMCID: PMC3085493 DOI: 10.1155/2011/635850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2010] [Revised: 02/10/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma patients who were treated with patient-specific vaccines consisting of dendritic cells loaded with autologous tumor cells had a 5-year survival of over 50%. Enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) has been used to detect antigen reactive T cells as a means of determining immune response. We wished to determine whether IFN-gamma secretion in an ELISPOT assay was prognostic or predictive for survival following treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected at weeks 0 and 4 were evaluated by ELISPOT assay for response to autologous tumor cells. Overall, there was slight increase in the number of tumor reactive lymphocytes from week 0 to week 4. Using >5 spots/100 K PBMC as the cutoff, a log-rank analysis revealed only a slight statistical significance in overall survival for patients who lacked tumor reactive PBMCs at week 4. The sensitivity of ELISPOT in the context of patient-specific cellular vaccines is unclear.
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Janetzki S, Price L, Britten CM, van der Burg SH, Caterini J, Currier JR, Ferrari G, Gouttefangeas C, Hayes P, Kaempgen E, Lennerz V, Nihlmark K, Souza V, Hoos A. Performance of serum-supplemented and serum-free media in IFNgamma Elispot Assays for human T cells. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2010; 59:609-18. [PMID: 19894047 PMCID: PMC2813531 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-009-0788-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2009] [Accepted: 10/16/2009] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The choice of serum for supplementation of media for T cell assays and in particular, Elispot has been a major challenge for assay performance, standardization, optimization, and reproducibility. The Assay Working Group of the Cancer Vaccine Consortium (CVC-CRI) has recently identified the choice of serum to be the leading cause for variability and suboptimal performance in large international Elispot proficiency panels. Therefore, a serum task force was initiated to compare the performance of commercially available serum-free media to laboratories' own medium/serum combinations. The objective of this project was to investigate whether a serum-free medium exists that performs as well as lab-own serum/media combinations with regard to antigen-specific responses and background reactivity in Elispot. In this way, a straightforward solution could be provided to address the serum challenge. Eleven laboratories tested peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from four donors for their reactivity against two peptide pools, following their own Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Each laboratory performed five simultaneous experiments with the same SOP, the only difference between the experiments was the medium used. The five media were lab-own serum-supplemented medium, AIM-V, CTL, Optmizer, and X-Vivo. The serum task force results demonstrate compellingly that serum-free media perform as well as qualified medium/serum combinations, independent of the applied SOP. Recovery and viability of cells are largely unaffected by serum-free conditions even after overnight resting. Furthermore, one serum-free medium was identified that appears to enhance antigen-specific IFNgamma-secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Janetzki
- Cancer Vaccine Consortium of the Cancer Research Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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15
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Vaccination with agonist peptide PSA: 154-163 (155L) derived from prostate specific antigen induced CD8 T-cell response to the native peptide PSA: 154-163 but failed to induce the reactivity against tumor targets expressing PSA: a phase 2 study in patients with recurrent prostate cancer. J Immunother 2009; 32:655-66. [PMID: 19483644 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0b013e3181a80e0d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a clinical trial of peptide prostate specific antigen (PSA): 154-163 (155L) vaccination in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 patients with detectable and rising serum PSA after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00109811). The trial was a single dose-level, phase 2 pilot trial of 1 mg of PSA: 154-163 (155L) emulsified with adjuvant (Montanide ISA-51). The primary endpoint was the determination of immunogenicity of the vaccine; secondary outcomes were determination of toxicity and effect on serum PSA. The vaccine was given subcutaneously 7 times on weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, 10, 14, and 18. Peptide-specific CD8 T-cell responses in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients were measured by interferon (IFN)-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay. CD8 T-cell cultures were also established by in vitro stimulation with the peptide presented by autologous dendritic cells. Five patients were enrolled and completed all vaccinations. No IFN-gamma response to PSA: 154-163 (155L) was detected in unfractioned PBMC in any patient either before or after vaccination. Three of 5 patients demonstrated strong IFN-gamma responses to PSA: 154-163 (155L) and native PSA: 154-163 peptides in CD8 T-cell cultures derived from postvaccination PBMC. However, peptide-specific T cells failed to recognize HLA-A2 positive targets expressing endogenous PSA. There were no significant changes in serum PSA level in any subject. No serious adverse events were observed. PSA: 154-163 (155L) is not an effective immunogen when given with Montanide ISA-51. The PSA: 154-163 peptide is poorly processed from endogenous PSA and therefore represents a cryptic epitope of PSA in HLA-A2 antigen-presenting cells.
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16
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Mander A, Chowdhury F, Low L, Ottensmeier CH. Fit for purpose? A case study: validation of immunological endpoint assays for the detection of cellular and humoral responses to anti-tumour DNA fusion vaccines. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2009; 58:789-800. [PMID: 19066888 PMCID: PMC11030632 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-008-0633-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2008] [Accepted: 11/13/2008] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials are governed by an increasingly stringent regulatory framework, which applies to all levels of trial conduct. Study critical immunological endpoints, which define success or failure in early phase clinical immunological trials, require formal pre-trial validation. In this case study, we describe the assay validation process, during which the sensitivity, and precision of immunological endpoint assays were defined. The purpose was the evaluation of two multicentre phase I/II clinical trials from our unit in Southampton, UK, which assess the effects of DNA fusion vaccines on immune responses in HLA-A2+ patients with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-expressing malignancies and prostate cancer. Validated immunomonitoring is being performed using ELISA and IFNgamma ELISPOTs to assess humoral and cellular responses to the vaccines over time. The validated primary endpoint assay, a peptide-specific CD8+ IFNgamma ELISPOT, was tested in a pre-trial study and found to be suitable for the detection of low frequency naturally occurring CEA- and prostate-derived tumour-antigen-specific T cells in patients with CEA-expressing malignancies and prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Mander
- Cancer Sciences Division, School of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, UK.
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17
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Chadwick S, Kriegel C, Amiji M. Delivery strategies to enhance mucosal vaccination. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2009; 9:427-40. [DOI: 10.1517/14712590902849224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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18
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Timmerman JM, Vose JM, Czerwinski DK, Weng WK, Ingolia D, Mayo M, Denney DW, Levy R. Tumor-specific recombinant idiotype immunisation after chemotherapy as initial treatment for follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Leuk Lymphoma 2009; 50:37-46. [PMID: 19125383 DOI: 10.1080/10428190802563355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-specific variable regions of the clonal immunoglobulin (idiotype, Id) expressed by B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) can be targeted by active immunotherapy. We conducted a phase I/II trial to determine the safety and immunogenicity of a patient-specific, recombinant, mammalian cell-derived Id protein conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (Id-KLH; MyVax personalised immunotherapy) in 22 patients with follicular NHL in first remission after chemotherapy. Subjects received five subcutaneous immunisations with MyVax plus locally administered granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Among 21 evaluable patients, 62% mounted Id-specific immune responses. Evoked anti-Id antibodies recognised both recombinant Id and native Id, and could specifically stain autologous tumor cells. At median follow-up of more than 6 years, median progression-free survival is 38 months. Immunisation of follicular lymphoma patients with MyVax Id-KLH is safe and patients often mount tumor-specific immune responses. These results form the basis of a pivotal phase 3 trial of MyVax in follicular NHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Timmerman
- Division of Medical Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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19
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Concordant proficiency in measurement of T-cell immunity in human immunodeficiency virus vaccine clinical trials by peripheral blood mononuclear cell and enzyme-linked immunospot assays in laboratories from three continents. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2008; 16:147-55. [PMID: 19091991 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00326-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay is used routinely to evaluate the potency of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine candidates and other vaccine candidates. In order to compare candidates and pool data from multiple trial laboratories, validated standardized methods must be applied across laboratories. Proficiency panels are a key part of a comprehensive quality assurance program to monitor inter- and intralaboratory performance, as well as assay performance, over time. Seven International AIDS Vaccine Initiative-sponsored trial sites participated in the proficiency panels described in this study. At each laboratory, two operators independently processed identical sample sets consisting of frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from different donors by using four blind stimuli. PBMC recovery and viability after overnight resting and the IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay performance were assessed. All sites demonstrated good performance in PBMC thawing and resting, with a median recovery of 78% and median viability of 95%. The laboratories were able to detect similar antigen-specific T-cell responses, ranging from 50 to >3,000 spot-forming cells per million PBMC. An approximate range of a half log in results from operators within or across sites was seen in comparisons of antigen-specific responses. Consistently low background responses were seen in all laboratories. The results of these proficiency panels demonstrate the ability of seven laboratories, located across three continents, to process PBMC samples and to rank volunteers with differential magnitudes of IFN-gamma ELISPOT responses. These findings also illustrate the ability to standardize the IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay across multiple laboratories when common training methods, reagents such as fetal calf serum, and standard operating procedures are adopted. These results are encouraging for laboratories that are using cell-based immunology assays to test HIV vaccines and other vaccines.
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20
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Park HJ, Neelapu SS. Developing idiotype vaccines for lymphoma: from preclinical studies to phase III clinical trials. Br J Haematol 2008; 142:179-91. [PMID: 18422783 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2008.07143.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccines for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) using the clonal tumour immunoglobulin idiotype (Id) have been under development for more than three decades. A major obstacle for rapid progress in the field has been that the Id vaccine is patient-specific and required the generation of a custom-made product. The manufacturing issues were recently overcome by advances in hybridoma and recombinant DNA technology which facilitated the completion of several phase I and II clinical trials. The strong immunogenicity and apparent clinical benefit observed on the early phase studies led to the initiation of three randomized phase III clinical trials that are also nearing completion. This review will focus on the development of Id vaccines before and after the introduction of rituximab for the treatment of B-cell NHL and also discuss potential strategies to enhance the efficacy of active immunotherapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jun Park
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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21
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Kuerten S, Nowacki TM, Kleen TO, Asaad RJ, Lehmann PV, Tary-Lehmann M. Dissociated production of perforin, granzyme B, and IFN-gamma by HIV-specific CD8(+) cells in HIV infection. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2008; 24:62-71. [PMID: 18275349 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2007.0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CD8(+) T cells play a crucial role in the control of viral infections such as HIV. The functional characterization of HIV-specific CD8(+) T cells has so far been largely restricted to studies of IFN-gamma. The TCR-triggered release of the effector molecules perforin (PFN) and granzyme B (GzB), however, is thought to be a central pathway for the destruction of virus-infected target cells by CD8(+) effector T cells. Here we would like to address two major findings. On the one hand we propose that ex vivo measurements of PFN and GzB secretion via ELISPOT may permit the distinction between in vivo resting versus activated CD8(+) memory T cells in healthy and HIV-infected individuals. Therefore, extending the present standard of IFN-gamma measurements to the analysis of PFN and GzB release in functional T cell assays will provide new insights into CD8(+) effector T cell functions. It should enable the evaluation of therapeutic vaccination efficacy by its ability to reactivate and convert IFN-gamma-positive, but GzB- and PFN-negative memory CD8(+) T cells into PFN/GzB-secreting effector cells. On the other hand, we report on a frequent ex vivo dissociation of the HIV peptide-induced secretion of PFN and GzB in chronic HIV infection underlining CD8(+) effector T cell diversity in this disease--an aspect that also has to be accounted for in immune monitoring approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Kuerten
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
- Insitut I fuer Anatomie, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tobias M. Nowacki
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | | | - Robert J. Asaad
- Center for AIDS Research, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Paul V. Lehmann
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
- Cellular Technology Limited, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
| | - Magdalena Tary-Lehmann
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
- Cellular Technology Limited, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
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22
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Safety and immunogenicity of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte poly-epitope, DNA plasmid (EP HIV-1090) vaccine in healthy, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-uninfected adults. Vaccine 2007; 26:215-23. [PMID: 18055072 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.10.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2007] [Revised: 10/22/2007] [Accepted: 10/29/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated EP HIV-1090 vaccine, a DNA plasmid encoding 21 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the pan-DR helper T-lymphocyte epitope (PADRE), in a dose escalation, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase 1 trial. Vaccine, at 0.5, 2.0, or 4.0mg doses, or placebo was injected four times over 6 months. Forty-two healthy, HIV-1-uninfected adults were enrolled. Using an interferon-gamma ELISPOT assay, a response to PADRE was detected in one vaccine recipient. Three vaccine recipients raised anti-HIV-1 CD8+ CTL measured by chromium-release assay. The vaccine was safe and well-tolerated, but only weakly immunogenic.
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23
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Panelli MC, Wang E, Monsurrò V, Jin P, Zavaglia K, Smith K, Ngalame Y, Marincola FM. Overview of melanoma vaccines and promising approaches. Curr Oncol Rep 2007; 6:414-20. [PMID: 15291987 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-004-0069-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
It is difficult to envision anything better than melanoma vaccines to exemplify the effectiveness of modern biotechnology in developing biologically rational therapeutics. Melanoma vaccines can reproducibly induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses better than any other anticancer therapy. Anticancer vaccines have been labeled by some as ineffective for the simple reason that they only rarely lead to cancer regression. This oxymoron stems from the naïve expectation that CTLs are all that is needed to reject cancer. Little is known about requirements for CTL localization and effector function within the tumor microenvironment. In the future, more attention should be given to events downstream of immunization (afferent arm of immune response) to identify combination therapies likely to facilitate localization and activation of CTL at the receiving end (efferent arm).
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica C Panelli
- Immunogenetics Section, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bldg 10, R-1C711, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Neelapu SS, Lee ST, Qin H, Cha SC, Woo AF, Kwak LW. Therapeutic lymphoma vaccines: importance of T-cell immunity. Expert Rev Vaccines 2007; 5:381-94. [PMID: 16827622 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.5.3.381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The unique antigenic determinants, termed idiotype, of the immunoglobulin expressed on a given B-cell malignancy can serve as a tumor-specific antigen for active immunotherapy. Administration of autologous tumor-derived idiotype protein conjugated to a carrier protein, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, together with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to follicular lymphoma patients in complete clinical remission was associated with induction of tumor-specific cellular and humoral immunity, molecular remissions, and prolonged disease-free survival. Idiotype vaccination in patients with mantle cell lymphoma following rituximab-containing chemotherapy induced tumor-specific T-cell immunity in the absence of B cells, suggesting that vaccines may be used in combination with rituximab. Three double-blind, randomized, Phase III idiotype vaccine trials are currently ongoing to definitively determine the clinical benefit of idiotype-keyhole limpet hemocyanin plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor vaccination in patients with lymphoma. Results from early clinical trials with idiotype vaccines suggested that both humoral and cellular immune responses may be independently associated with tumor regression and improved progression-free survival. With the increased use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma and other B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, further improvement in the potency of the vaccines would require strategies to enhance T-cell responses, as rituximab depletes normal B cells and impairs the generation of antibody responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sattva S Neelapu
- UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Unit 903, 7455 Fannin, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
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25
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Malyguine A, Strobl S, Zaritskaya L, Baseler M, Shafer-Weaver K. New approaches for monitoring CTL activity in clinical trials. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2007; 601:273-84. [PMID: 17713015 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-72005-0_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We have developed a modification of the ELISPOT assay that measures Granzyme B (GrB) release from cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The GrB ELISPOT assay is a superior alternative to the 51Cr-release assay since it is significantly more sensitive and provides an estimation of cytotoxic effector cell frequency. Additionally, unlike the IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay, the GrB ELISPOT directly measures the release of a cytolytic protein. We report that the GrB ELISPOT can be utilized to measure ex vivo antigen-specific cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from cancer patients vaccinated with a peptide-based cancer vaccine. We compare the reactivity of patients' PBMCs in the GrB ELISPOT, with reactivity in the tetramer, IFN-gamma ELISPOT and chromium (51Cr)-release assays. Differences in immune response over all assays tested were found between patients, and four response patterns were observed. Reactivity in the GrB ELISPOT was more closely associated with cytotoxicity in the 51Cr-release assay than the tetramer or IFN-gamma ELISPOT assays. We also optimized the GrB ELISPOT assay to directly measure immune responses against autologous primary tumor cells in vaccinated cancer patients. A perforin ELISPOT assay was also adapted to evaluate peptide-stimulated reactivity of PMBCs from vaccinated melanoma patients. Modifications of the ELISPOT assay described in this chapter allow a more comprehensive evaluation of low-frequency tumor-specific CTLs and their specific effector functions and can provide a valuable insight into immune responses in cancer vaccine trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoli Malyguine
- Applied and Developmental Research Support Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD, USA.
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26
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Neelapu SS, Gause BL, Harvey L, Lee ST, Frye AR, Horton J, Robb RJ, Popescu MC, Kwak LW. A novel proteoliposomal vaccine induces antitumor immunity against follicular lymphoma. Blood 2007; 109:5160-3. [PMID: 17339422 PMCID: PMC1941785 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2006-12-063594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that treatment with vaccines comprised of idiotype protein may be associated with improved clinical outcome in follicular lymphoma patients. The time-consuming process required to generate patient-specific vaccines is a major limitation, however. Here we report results of a pilot clinical trial with a novel autologous, tumor-derived proteoliposome vaccine formulation that could be rapidly produced within a single day. Vaccination was safe, induced autologous tumor-specific type 1 cytokine responses in 5 out of 10 follicular lymphoma patients, and was associated with induction of a sustained complete response in one patient. Other patients had large tumor burdens and progressed after a median duration of 8 months. These results suggest that further testing of this vaccine formulation, particularly in the setting of minimal disease, is warranted. Furthermore, the proteoliposome formulation may provide a model for vaccine development for other human cancers, for which tumor-associated antigens need not be defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sattva S Neelapu
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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27
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Lee ST, Jiang YF, Park KU, Woo AF, Neelapu SS. BiovaxID: a personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2007; 7:113-22. [PMID: 17150023 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.7.1.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The clonal immunoglobulin molecule, idiotype (ID), expressed on the surface of B-cell malignancies can function as a tumor-specific antigen. BiovaxID is a patient-specific therapeutic cancer vaccine composed of the tumor idiotype conjugated to a carrier protein, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). In a Phase II clinical trial, administration of ID-KLH vaccine together with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to follicular lymphoma patients in complete remission induced tumor-specific cellular and humoral immunity and molecular remissions, and was associated with prolonged disease-free survival. A randomized, double-blind, Phase III clinical trial is ongoing to definitively determine the clinical benefit of BiovaxID plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor vaccination in patients with follicular lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Tae Lee
- The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 903, Houston, TX, 77030 USA.
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28
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Abstract
There is overwhelming evidence that the human immune system can keep in check the growth of autologous tumors. Yet, this phenomenon is rare and most often tumors survive striking a balance with the host's immune system. The well-documented coexistence of immune cells that can recognize cancer and their targets within the same host is reminiscent of chronic allograft rejection well-controlled by immune suppression or of a lingering tissue-specific autoimmune reaction. In this review, we argue that autologous tumor rejection represents a distinct form of tissue-specific rejection similar to acute allograft rejection or to flares of autoimmunity. Here we discuss similarities within the biology of these phenomena that may converge into a common immunological constant of rejection. The purpose is to simplify the basis of immune rejection to its bare bones critically dissecting the significance of those components proposed by experimental models as harbingers of this final outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ena Wang
- Immunogenetics Section, The Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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29
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Neelapu SS, Kwak LW, Kobrin CB, Reynolds CW, Janik JE, Dunleavy K, White T, Harvey L, Pennington R, Stetler-Stevenson M, Jaffe ES, Steinberg SM, Gress R, Hakim F, Wilson WH. Vaccine-induced tumor-specific immunity despite severe B-cell depletion in mantle cell lymphoma. Nat Med 2005; 11:986-91. [PMID: 16116429 DOI: 10.1038/nm1290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2005] [Accepted: 07/26/2005] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The role of B cells in T-cell priming is unclear, and the effects of B-cell depletion on immune responses to cancer vaccines are unknown. Although results from some mouse models suggest that B cells may inhibit induction of T cell-dependent immunity by competing with antigen-presenting cells for antigens, skewing T helper response toward a T helper 2 profile and/or inducing T-cell tolerance, results from others suggest that B cells are necessary for priming as well as generation of T-cell memory. We assessed immune responses to a well-characterized idiotype vaccine in individuals with severe B-cell depletion but normal T cells after CD20-specific antibody-based chemotherapy of mantle cell lymphoma in first remission. Humoral antigen- and tumor-specific responses were detectable but delayed, and they correlated with peripheral blood B-cell recovery. In contrast, vigorous CD4(+) and CD8(+) antitumor type I T-cell cytokine responses were induced in most individuals in the absence of circulating B cells. Analysis of relapsing tumors showed no mutations or change in expression of target antigen to explain escape from therapy. These results show that severe B-cell depletion does not impair T-cell priming in humans. Based on these results, it is justifiable to administer vaccines in the setting of B-cell depletion; however, vaccine boosts after B-cell recovery may be necessary for optimal humoral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sattva S Neelapu
- Experimental and Transplantation Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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Wang E, Panelli MC, Marincola FM. Understanding the response to immunotherapy in humans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 27:105-17. [PMID: 15666150 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-004-0198-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2004] [Accepted: 12/15/2004] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Whether the efforts of the last decade aimed at the development of vaccines against tumor-specific antigens encountered success or failure is a matter of expectations. On the bright side, we could optimistically observe that anti-cancer-vaccines stand as an outstanding example of the successful implementation of modern biotechnology tools for the development of biologically sound therapeutics. In particular, vaccines against melanoma (the prototype model of tumor immunology in humans) can reproducibly induce cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses exquisitely specific for cancer cells. This achievement trespasses the specificity of any other anti-cancer therapy. The skeptics, on the other end, might point out that immunization only rarely leads to cancer regression, labeling, therefore, this approach is ineffective. In our opinion this judgment stems from the naïve expectation that CTL induction is sufficient for an effective immune response. Here we propose that more needs to be understood about the mechanisms required for the induction of a therapeutically relevant immune response in humans. In particular, we will discuss the variables related to cancer heterogeneity, the weight of individual patients' polymorphism(s), the role of the T cell activation and differentiation and, finally, the complex relationship between immune and cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ena Wang
- Immunogenetics Section, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1184, USA
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Modified ELISPOT. ANALYZING T CELL RESPONSES 2005. [PMCID: PMC7119983 DOI: 10.1007/1-4020-3623-x_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The use of the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay to evaluate cellular immune responses has gained increasing popularity, especially as a surrogate measure for CTL responses. We developed and validated some modifications of the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay to optimize immunological monitoring of various cancer vaccine trials. Taking into consideration that the main mechanism of cell-mediated cytotoxicity is the release of cytolytic granules that contain, among others, cytolytic protein Granzyme B (GrB), we developed the GrB ELISPOT assay. Extensive studies demonstrated that the GrB ELISPOT assay is specific, accurately measures the rapid release of GrB, is more sensitive than the 51Cr-release assay, and that it may be successfully applied to measuring CTL precursory frequency in PBMC from cancer patients. Assuming that immunological assays that demonstrate recognition of native tumor cells (tumor-specific) may be more clinically relevant than assays that demonstrate recognition of tumor protein or peptide (antigen-specific), we developed and validated the Autologous Tumor IFN-γ ELISPOT assay using PBMC from idiotype vaccinated lymphoma patients as effectors and autologous B cell lymphoma tumor cells as targets. The precursor frequency of tumor-reactive T cells was significantly higher in the postvaccine PBMC, compared with prevaccine samples in all patients tested. Furthermore, the specificity of these T cells was established by the lack of reactivity against autologous normal B cells. These results demonstrate the feasibility of evaluating tumor-specific T cell responses when autologous, primary tumor cells are available as targets. Modifications of ELISPOT assay described in this chapter allow more comprehensive assessment of low frequency tumor-specific CTL and their specific effector functions and can provide valuable insight with regards to immune responses in cancer vaccine trials.
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