Epstein Barr virus Latent Membrane Protein-1 enhances dendritic cell therapy lymph node migration, activation, and IL-12 secretion

Dendritic cells (DC) are a promising cell type for cancer vaccines due to their high immunostimulatory capacity. However, improper maturation of DC prior to treatment may account for the limited efficacy of DC vaccine clinical trials. Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1) of Epstein-Barr virus was examined for its ability to mature and activate DC as a gene-based molecular adjuvant for DC vaccines. DC were transduced with an adenovirus 5 vector (Ad5) expressing LMP1 under the control of a Tet-inducible promoter. Ad5-LMP1 was found to mature and activate both human and mouse DC. LMP1 enhanced in vitro migration of DC toward CCL19, as well as in vivo migration of DC to the inguinal lymph nodes of mice following intradermal injection. LMP1-transduced DC increased T cell proliferation in a Pmel-1 adoptive transfer model and enhanced survival in B16-F10 melanoma models. LMP1-DC also enhanced protection in a vaccinia-Gag viral challenge assay. LMP1 induced high levels of IL-12p70 secretion in mouse DC when compared to standard maturation protocols. Importantly, LMP1-transduced human DC retained the capacity to secrete IL-12p70 and TNF in response to DC restimulation. In contrast, DC matured with Monocyte Conditioned Media-Mimic cocktail (Mimic) were impaired in IL-12p70 secretion following restimulation. Overall, LMP1 matured and activated DC, induced migration to the lymph node, and generated high levels of IL-12p70 in a murine model. We propose LMP1 as a promising molecular adjuvant for DC vaccines.

Educational Value of a Medical Student–Led Head and Neck Cancer Screening Event

Objective

To evaluate improvement of medical student knowledge of head and neck cancer (HNC) through participation in HNC screening fairs run by medical students.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study of surveys assessing medical students’ knowledge of HNC before and after volunteering at screening fairs.

Setting

Four screening fairs held at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

Subjects

Medical student screening fair volunteers.

Methods

Four HNC screening fairs were organized by medical student volunteers. All students completed a preevent survey assessing baseline knowledge and participated in an otolaryngologist-led training session about HNC and the screening examination. During the screening events, students educated guests about HNC and performed physician-guided history and physical examinations. Finally, students completed identical surveys 1 week and 3 months after the event.

Results

Thirty-four (n = 34) students completed the preevent surveys. At baseline, 59%, 44%, and 24% named tobacco, alcohol, and human papilloma virus as risk factors, compared with 84%, 81%, and 69% on 3 month follow-up, respectively. Out of 6 analyzed questions, the median total number of correctly answered questions improved from 2 on pretest to 5 at 3 months ( P < .0001).

Conclusion

Volunteer participation in a HNC screening program improves medical students’ knowledge of HNC risk factors and symptoms. This innovative approach to students’ education via participation and organization of screening events is a useful method of improving their HNC knowledge.

A multi-trimeric fusion of CD40L and gp100 tumor antigen activates dendritic cells and enhances survival in a B16-F10 melanoma DNA vaccine model

Vaccination with tumor-associated antigens can induce cancer-specific CD8+ T cells. A recent improvement has been the targeting of antigen to dendritic cells (DC) using antibodies that bind DC surface molecules. This study explored the use of multi-trimers of CD40L to target the gp100 melanoma tumor antigen to DC. The spontaneously-multimerizing gene Surfactant Protein D (SPD) was used to fuse gp100 tumor antigen and CD40L, creating the recombinant protein SPD-gp100-CD40L. This "third generation" DC-targeting vaccine was designed to both target antigen to DC and optimally activate dendritic cells by aggregating CD40 trimers on the DC membrane surface. SPD-gp100-CD40L expressed as a 110kDa protein. Analytical light scattering analysis gave elution data corresponding to 4-trimer and multi-trimer SPD-gp100-CD40L oligomers. The protein was biologically active on dendritic cells and induced CD40-mediated NF-κB signaling. DNA vaccination with SPD-gp100-CD40L plasmid, together with plasmids encoding IL-12p70 and GM-CSF, significantly enhanced survival and inhibited tumor growth in a B16-F10 melanoma model. Expression of gp100 and SPD-CD40L as separate molecules did not enhance survival, highlighting the requirement to encode gp100 within SPD-CD40L for optimal vaccine activity. These data support a model where DNA vaccination with SPD-gp100-CD40L targets gp100 to DC in situ, induces activation of these DC, and generates a protective anti-tumor response when given in combination with IL-12p70 and GM-CSF plasmids.

HIV-1 adenoviral vector vaccines expressing multi-trimeric BAFF and 4-1BBL enhance T cell mediated anti-viral immunity

Adenoviral vectored vaccines have shown considerable promise but could be improved by molecular adjuvants. Ligands in the TNF superfamily (TNFSF) are potential adjuvants for adenoviral vector (Ad5) vaccines based on their central role in adaptive immunity. Many TNFSF ligands require aggregation beyond the trimeric state (multi-trimerization) for optimal biological function. Here we describe Ad5 vaccines for HIV-1 Gag antigen (Ad5-Gag) adjuvanted with the TNFSF ligands 4-1BBL, BAFF, GITRL and CD27L constructed as soluble multi-trimeric proteins via fusion to Surfactant Protein D (SP-D) as a multimerization scaffold. Mice were vaccinated with Ad5-Gag combined with Ad5 expressing one of the SP-D-TNFSF constructs or single-chain IL-12p70 as adjuvant. To evaluate vaccine-induced protection, mice were challenged with vaccinia virus expressing Gag (vaccinia-Gag) which is known to target the female genital tract, a major route of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection. In this system, SP-D-4-1BBL or SP-D-BAFF led to significantly reduced vaccinia-Gag replication when compared to Ad5-Gag alone. In contrast, IL-12p70, SP-D-CD27L and SP-D-GITRL were not protective. Histological examination following vaccinia-Gag challenge showed a dramatic lymphocytic infiltration into the uterus and ovaries of SP-D-4-1BBL and SP-D-BAFF-treated animals. By day 5 post challenge, proinflammatory cytokines in the tissue were reduced, consistent with the enhanced control over viral replication. Splenocytes had no specific immune markers that correlated with protection induced by SP-D-4-1BBL and SP-D-BAFF versus other groups. IL-12p70, despite lack of anti-viral efficacy, increased the total numbers of splenic dextramer positive CD8+ T cells, effector memory T cells, and effector Gag-specific CD8+ T cells, suggesting that these markers are poor predictors of anti-viral immunity in this model. In conclusion, soluble multi-trimeric 4-1BBL and BAFF adjuvants led to strong protection from vaccinia-Gag challenge, but the protection was independent of standard immune markers. Soluble multi-trimeric SP-D-4-1BBL and SP-D-BAFF provide a novel technology to enhance adenoviral vector vaccines against HIV-1.