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Bhatta M, Shenoy GN, Loyall JL, Gray BD, Bapardekar M, Conway A, Minderman H, Kelleher RJ, Carreno BM, Linette G, Shultz LD, Odunsi K, Balu-Iyer SV, Pak KY, Bankert RB. Novel phosphatidylserine-binding molecule enhances antitumor T-cell responses by targeting immunosuppressive exosomes in human tumor microenvironments. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-003148. [PMID: 34599030 PMCID: PMC8488709 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and dynamic milieu of diverse acellular and cellular components, creating an immunosuppressive environment, which contributes to tumor progression. We have previously shown that phosphatidylserine (PS) expressed on the surface of exosomes isolated from human TMEs is causally linked to T-cell immunosuppression, representing a potential immunotherapeutic target. In this study, we investigated the effect of ExoBlock, a novel PS-binding molecule, on T-cell responses in the TME. Methods We designed and synthesized a new compound, (ZnDPA)6-DP-15K, a multivalent PS binder named ExoBlock. The PS-binding avidity of ExoBlock was tested using an in vitro competition assay. The ability of this molecule to reverse exosome-mediated immunosuppression in vitro was tested using human T-cell activation assays. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of ExoBlock was then tested in two different human tumor xenograft models, the melanoma-based xenomimetic (X-)mouse model, and the ovarian tumor-based omental tumor xenograft (OTX) model. Results ExoBlock was able to bind PS with high avidity and was found to consistently and significantly block the immunosuppressive activity of human ovarian tumor and melanoma-associated exosomes in vitro. ExoBlock was also able to significantly enhance T cell-mediated tumor suppression in vivo in both the X-mouse and the OTX model. In the X-mouse model, ExoBlock suppressed tumor recurrence in a T cell-dependent manner. In the OTX model, ExoBlock treatment resulted in an increase in the number as well as function of CD4 and CD8 T cells in the TME, which was associated with a reduction in tumor burden and metastasis, as well as in the number of circulating PS+ exosomes in tumor-bearing mice. Conclusion Our results establish that targeting exosomal PS in TMEs with ExoBlock represents a promising strategy to enhance antitumor T-cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gautam N Shenoy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jenni L Loyall
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Brian D Gray
- Molecular Targeting Technologies Inc, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Meghana Bapardekar
- Flow & Image Cytometry Shared Resource, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Alexis Conway
- Flow & Image Cytometry Shared Resource, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Hans Minderman
- Flow & Image Cytometry Shared Resource, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Raymond J Kelleher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Beatriz M Carreno
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gerald Linette
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Kunle Odunsi
- University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sathy V Balu-Iyer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Koon Yan Pak
- Molecular Targeting Technologies Inc, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Richard B Bankert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Shenoy GN, Greene CJ, Bhatta M, Baroja ML, Loyall JL, Balu‐Iyer SV, Kelleher RJ, Carreno BM, Linette GP, Shultz LD, Bankert RB. Preclinical evaluation of cancer immune therapy using patient-derived tumor antigen-specific T cells in a novel xenograft platform. Clin Transl Immunology 2021; 10:e1246. [PMID: 33552509 PMCID: PMC7853904 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES With a rapidly growing list of candidate immune-based cancer therapeutics, there is a critical need to generate highly reliable animal models to preclinically evaluate the efficacy of emerging immune-based therapies, facilitating successful clinical translation. Our aim was to design and validate a novel in vivo model (called Xenomimetic or 'X' mouse) that allows monitoring of the ability of human tumor-specific T cells to suppress tumor growth following their entry into the tumor. METHODS Tumor xenografts are established rapidly in the greater omentum of globally immunodeficient NOD-scid IL2Rγnull (NSG) mice following an intraperitoneal injection of melanoma target cells expressing tumor neoantigen peptides, as well as green fluorescent protein and/or luciferase. Changes in tumor burden, as well as in the number and phenotype of adoptively transferred patient-derived tumor neoantigen-specific T cells in response to immunotherapy, are measured by imaging to detect fluorescence/luminescence and flow cytometry, respectively. RESULTS The tumors progress rapidly and disseminate in the mice unless patient-derived tumor-specific T cells are introduced. An initial T cell-mediated tumor arrest is later followed by a tumor escape, which correlates with the upregulation of the checkpoint molecules programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3) on T cells. Treatment with immune-based therapies that target these checkpoints, such as anti-PD-1 antibody (nivolumab) or interleukin-12 (IL-12), prevented or delayed the tumor escape. Furthermore, IL-12 treatment suppressed PD-1 and LAG3 upregulation on T cells. CONCLUSION Together, these results validate the X-mouse model and establish its potential to preclinically evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of immune-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam N Shenoy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNYUSA
| | - Christopher J Greene
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNYUSA,Present address:
Hodgson Russ LLP.BuffaloNYUSA
| | - Maulasri Bhatta
- Immune Modulatory Therapies, LLCEdenNYUSA,Present address:
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffaloNYUSA
| | - Miren L Baroja
- Center for Cellular ImmunotherapiesPerelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Jenni L Loyall
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNYUSA
| | - Sathy V Balu‐Iyer
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNYUSA
| | - Raymond J Kelleher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNYUSA
| | - Beatriz M Carreno
- Center for Cellular ImmunotherapiesPerelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Gerald P Linette
- Center for Cellular ImmunotherapiesPerelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | | | - Richard B Bankert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNYUSA
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Shenoy GN, Bhatta M, Loyall JL, Kelleher RJ, Bernstein JM, Bankert RB. Exosomes Represent an Immune Suppressive T Cell Checkpoint in Human Chronic Inflammatory Microenvironments. Immunol Invest 2020; 49:726-743. [PMID: 32299258 PMCID: PMC7554261 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2020.1748047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Background: T cells present in chronic inflammatory tissues such as nasal polyps (from chronic rhinosinusitis patients) have been demonstrated to be hypo-responsive to activation via the TCR, similar to tumor-specific T cells in multiple different human tumor microenvironments. While immunosuppressive exosomes have been known to contribute to the failure of the tumor-associated T cells to respond optimally to activation stimuli, it is not known whether they play a similar role in chronic inflammatory microenvironments. In the current study, we investigate whether exosomes derived from chronic inflammatory microenvironments contribute to the immune suppression of T cells. Methods: Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation and characterized by size and composition using nanoparticle tracking analysis, scanning electron microscopy, antibody arrays and flow exometry. Immunosuppressive ability of the exosomes was measured by quantifying its effect on activation of T cells, using nuclear translocation of NFκB as an activation endpoint. Results: Exosomes were isolated and characterized from two different types of chronic inflammatory tissues - nasal polyps from chronic rhinosinusitis patients and synovial fluid from rheumatoid arthritis patients. These exosomes arrest the activation of T cells stimulated via the TCR. This immune suppression, like that which is seen in tumor microenvironments, is dependent in part upon a lipid, ganglioside GD3, which is expressed on the exosomal surface. Conclusion: Immunosuppressive exosomes present in non-malignant chronic inflammatory tissues represent a new T cell checkpoint, and potentially represent a novel therapeutic target to enhance the response to current therapies and prevent disease recurrences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam N Shenoy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | | | - Jenni L Loyall
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Raymond J Kelleher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Joel M Bernstein
- Department of Otolaryngology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Richard B Bankert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
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Simpson-Abelson MR, Loyall JL, Lehman HK, Barnas JL, Minderman H, O’Loughlin KL, Wallace PK, George TC, Peng P, Kelleher RJ, Odunsi K, Bankert RB. Human ovarian tumor ascites fluids rapidly and reversibly inhibit T cell receptor-induced NF-κB and NFAT signaling in tumor-associated T cells. Cancer Immun 2013; 13:14. [PMID: 23882159 PMCID: PMC3718770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Human memory T cells present in ovarian tumor ascites fluids fail to respond normally to stimulation via the T cell receptor (TCR). This immunosuppression is manifested by decreases in NF-κB and NFAT activation, IFN-γ production, and cell proliferation in response to TCR stimulation with immobilized antibodies to CD3 and CD28. The anergy of the tumor-associated T cells (TATs) is mediated by soluble factors present in ovarian tumor ascites fluids. The non-responsiveness of the T cells is quickly reversed when the cells are assayed in the absence of the ascites fluid, and is rapidly reestablished when a cell-free ascites fluid is added back to the T cells. Based upon the observed normal phosphorylation patterns of the TCR proximal signaling molecules, the inhibition of NF-κB, and NFAT activation in response to TCR stimulation, as well as the ability of the diacylglycerol analog PMA and the ionophore ionomycin to bypass the ascites fluid-induced TCR signaling arrest, the site of the arrest in the activation cascade appears to be at or just upstream of PLC-γ. An identical TCR signaling arrest pattern was observed when T cells derived from normal donor peripheral blood were incubated with either malignant or nonmalignant (cirrhotic) ascites fluids. The immunosuppressive activity of ascites fluids reported here suggests that soluble factors acting directly or indirectly upon T cells present within tumors contribute to the anergy that has previously been observed in T cells derived from malignant and nonmalignant inflammatory microenvironments. The soluble immunosuppressive factors represent potential therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R. Simpson-Abelson
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jenni L. Loyall
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Heather K. Lehman
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Barnas
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Hans Minderman
- Department of Flow Cytometry, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Paul K. Wallace
- Department of Flow Cytometry, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Peng Peng
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Raymond J. Kelleher
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Richard B. Bankert
- The State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Yokota SJ, Facciponte JG, Kelleher RJ, Shultz LD, Loyall JL, Parsons RR, Odunsi K, Frelinger JG, Lord EM, Gerber SA, Balu-Iyer SV, Bankert RB. Changes in ovarian tumor cell number, tumor vasculature, and T cell function monitored in vivo using a novel xenograft model. Cancer Immun 2013; 13:11. [PMID: 23885217 PMCID: PMC3721261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite an initial response to chemotherapy, most patients with ovarian cancer eventually progress and succumb to their disease. Understanding why effector T cells that are known to infiltrate the tumor do not eradicate the disease after cytoreduction is critically important to the development of novel therapeutic strategies to augment tumor immunity and improve patient outcomes. Such studies have been hampered by the lack of a suitable in vivo model. We report here a simple and reliable model system in which ovarian tumor cell aggregates implanted intraperitoneally into severely immunodeficient NSG mice establish tumor microenvironments within the omentum. The rapid establishment of tumor xenografts within this small anatomically well-defined site enables the recovery, characterization, and quantification of tumor and tumor-associated T cells. We validate here the ability of the omental tumor xenograft (OTX) model to quantify changes in tumor cell number in response to therapy, to quantify changes in the tumor vasculature, and to demonstrate and study the immunosuppressive effects of the tumor microenvironment. Using the OTX model, we show that the tumor-associated T cells originally present within the tumor tissues are anergic and that fully functional autologous T cells injected into tumor-bearing mice localize within the tumor xenograft. The transferred T cells remain functional for up to 3 days within the tumor microenvironment but become unresponsive to activation after 7 days. The OTX model provides for the first time the opportunity to study in vivo the cellular and molecular events contributing to the arrest in T cell function in human ovarian tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra J. Yokota
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - John G. Facciponte
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Raymond J. Kelleher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Jenni L. Loyall
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Robert R. Parsons
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - John G. Frelinger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Edith M. Lord
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Scott A. Gerber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sathy V. Balu-Iyer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Richard B. Bankert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Lou Q, Conway TF, Egilmez NK, Loyall JL, Bernstein SH, Kelleher RJ, Bankert RB. B cell tumor vaccine enhanced by covalent attachment of immunoglobulin to surface proteins on dendritic cells. Clin Immunol 2006; 118:66-76. [PMID: 16185929 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2005.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2005] [Revised: 08/11/2005] [Accepted: 08/23/2005] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Protein antigens have been covalently linked randomly to surface proteins on immature dendritic cells (DC). This has been achieved under physiological conditions using a heterobifunctional reagent that couples antigens to free thiol groups expressed on DC surface proteins. This results in a significant increase in the amount of antigen that is bound to DC, and the antigen/membrane protein complexes that are formed are rapidly internalized. DC, loaded covalently with either beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) or a tumor-associated immunoglobulin (Ig) when injected into mice, induce a beta-gal- or Ig-specific T cell response, and a protective anti-tumor immunity for tumors expressing either beta-gal or the targeted Ig. This response is shown here to be significantly greater than that which is induced by DC that are loaded with these antigens via the conventional antigen pulse protocol. These results establish a novel, safe, and viable approach of enhancing the effectiveness of DC-based vaccination strategies for B cell lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Lou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
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