Irradiated whole-cell vaccine suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma growth in mice via Th9 cells

Effect and mechanism of imbalance via Th9 cells and Th17/Treg cells in inflammatory and fibrotic phases of pulmonary fibrosis in mice

We investigate the role and mechanism of imbalance via Th9 cells and Th17/Treg cells in the inflammatory and fibrotic phases of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. A total of mice were split into normal saline (control group) and inflammation and fibrosis mouse models (study group) randomly, and lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were obtained from mice at the inflammatory and fibrotic phases on the 7th and 28th day, respectively. The degenerative changes in the mouse lung tissue were then visible using H&E staining. The expression of CCR6 and IL-9 in the lung tissues of two groups was examined through an immunohistochemistry assay. Fluorescence PCR was used to assess the expression of PU.1 mRNA in BALF, and flow cytometry was performed to identify the expression of Th17 and Treg. (1). The level of pulmonary fibrosis and lung inflammation in the research group was significantly higher than in the control group. (2). The expression of Th17, CCR6, IL-9 and PU.1 mRNA was substantially higher (P<0.05) in the research group at different time points; the expression level of Treg cells was considerably lower (P<0.05) in the research group than in the control group. (3). CCR6, IL-9 and PU.1 mRNA levels were statistically directly associated (P<0.05) with Th17 and inversely correlated 40 with Regulatory T cells (Tregs). CCR6 and Th9 cells may be involved in 45 developing Th17/Treg imbalance in the immune inflammation of pulmonary fibrosis, which promotes fibrocyte proliferation in lung tissue.

In vitro-irradiated cancer vaccine enhances anti-tumor efficacy of radiotherapy and PD-L1 blockade in a syngeneic murine breast cancer model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Local radiotherapy (RT) exerts immunostimulatory effects by inducing immunogenic cell death. However, it remains unknown whether in vitro-irradiated tumor cells can elicit anti-tumor responses and enhance the efficacy of local RT and immune checkpoint inhibitors when injected in vivo.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We tested the "in vitro-irradiated cancer vaccine (ICV)", wherein tumor cells killed by varying doses of irradiation and their supernatants are intravenously injected. We examined the efficacy of combining local RT (24 Gy in three fractions), PD-L1 blockade, and the ICV in a murine breast cancer model. The immune cell profiles were analyzed via flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. The cytokine levels were measured by multiplex immunoassays.

RESULTS

The ICV significantly increased the effector memory phenotype and interferon-γ production capacity in splenic CD8+ T cells. The in vitro-irradiated products contained immune response-related molecules. When combined with local RT and PD-L1 blockade, the ICV significantly delayed the growth of irradiated and non-irradiated tumors. The triple combination therapy increased the proportions of CD8+ T cells and effector memory CD8+ T cells while decreasing the proportion of CTLA-4+ exhausted CD8+ T cells within tumor microenvironment. Additionally, plasma level of interferon-γ and proliferation of effector T cells in the spleen and tumor-draining lymph nodes were significantly increased by the triple combination therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The ICV enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of local RT and PD-L1 blockade by augmenting anti-tumor immune responses. Our findings suggest a therapeutic potential of in vitro-irradiation products of tumor cells.

Transforming pancreaticobiliary cancer treatment: Exploring the frontiers of adoptive cell therapy and cancer vaccines

Pancreaticobiliary cancer, encompassing malignancies of both the pancreatic and biliary tract, presents a formidable clinical challenge marked by a uniformly bleak prognosis. The asymptomatic nature of its early stages often leads to delayed detection, contributing to an unfavorable 5-year overall survival rate. Conventional treatment modalities have shown limited efficacy, underscoring the urgent need for alternative therapeutic approaches. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising avenue in the fight against pancreaticobiliary cancer. Strategies such as therapeutic vaccines and the use of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes have garnered attention for their potential to elicit more robust and durable responses. This review seeks to illuminate the landscape of emerging immunotherapeutic interventions, offering insights from both clinical and research perspectives. By deepening our understanding of pancreaticobiliary cancer and exploring innovative treatment modalities, we aim to catalyze improvements in patient outcomes and quality of life.

The Dichotomy of Interleukin-9 Function in the Tumor Microenvironment

Interleukin 9 (IL-9) is a cytokine with potent proinflammatory properties that plays a central role in pathologies such as allergic asthma, immunity to parasitic infection, and autoimmunity. More recently, IL-9 has garnered considerable attention in tumor immunity. Historically, IL-9 has been associated with a protumor function in hematological malignancies and an antitumor function in solid malignancies. However, recent discoveries of the dynamic role of IL-9 in cancer progression suggest that IL-9 can act as both a pro- or antitumor factor in various hematological and solid malignancies. This review summarizes IL-9-dependent control of tumor growth, regulation, and therapeutic applicability of IL-9 blockade and IL-9-producing cells in cancer.

Single-cell analyses reveal the therapeutic effects of ATHENA and its mechanism in a rhabdomyosarcoma patient

Background

Whole-cell tumor vaccines tend to suffer from low immunogenicity. Our previous study showed that irradiated lung cancer cell vaccines in mouse models enhance antitumor efficacy by eliciting an intensive T cells response and improving immunogenicity. Based on these findings, we developed an improved whole-cell tumor vaccine, Autologous Tumor Holo antigEn immuNe Activation (ATHENA).

Methods

In this study, we report the successful treatment of a 6-year-old male diagnosed with meningeal rhabdomyosarcoma with pulmonary and liver metastases using ATHENA. After 6 cycles of therapy, PET/CT showed the therapeutic efficacy of ATHENA. We profiled the immune response by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Flow cytometry analysis was implemented to validate the status transitions of CD8+ T cells.

Results

In CD8+ T cells, the exhausted status was weakened after treatment. The exhausted CD4+ T cells shifted towards the central memory phenotype after the treatment. Breg cells were converted to Plasma or Follicular B cells. Survival analysis for pan-cancer and transcription factor analysis indicated that such T cell and B cell transitions represent the recovery of antitumoral adaptive immune response. We validated that the proportion of CD279+CD8+ T cells were reduced and the expression of CD44 molecule was upregulated by flow cytometry assay.

Conclusion

Such studies not only show that ATHENA therapy may be a promising alternative treatment for tumor patients but provide a novel idea to analyses the mechanisms of rare cases or personalized cancer treatment.

The effects of H22 tumor on the quality of oocytes and the development of early embryos from host mice: A single-cell RNA sequencing approach

The association between cancer and female reproduction remains largely unknown. Here we investigated the quality of oocytes and the developmental potential of zygotes using H22 tumor-bearing mice model. The results showed that the number of oocytes was decreased in tumor-bearing mice compared with the control mice, and accompanied scattered chromosomes was observed. Further study revealed an abnormal epigenetic reprogramming occurred in the zygotes from the H22 tumor-bearing mice, as exemplified by the aberrant 5hmC/5mC modifications in the pronuclei. Finally, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on the oocytes collected from the H22 tumor-bearing mice. Our data showed that 45 of the 202 differentially expressed genes in tumor-bearing group were closely associated with oocyte quality. Protein interaction analysis indicated that the potential interaction among these 45 genes. Collectively, our study uncovered that the quality of oocytes and early embryonic development were affected by H22 tumor bearing via the altered expression patterns of genes related with reproduction, providing new insights into the reproductive capability of female cancer patients.