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Hartupee C, Nagalo BM, Chabu CY, Tesfay MZ, Coleman-Barnett J, West JT, Moaven O. Pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment is a major therapeutic barrier and target. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1287459. [PMID: 38361931 PMCID: PMC10867137 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1287459] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is projected to become the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Limitations in early detection and treatment barriers contribute to the lack of substantial success in the treatment of this challenging-to-treat malignancy. Desmoplasia is the hallmark of PDAC microenvironment that creates a physical and immunologic barrier. Stromal support cells and immunomodulatory cells face aberrant signaling by pancreatic cancer cells that shifts the complex balance of proper repair mechanisms into a state of dysregulation. The product of this dysregulation is the desmoplastic environment that encases the malignant cells leading to a dense, hypoxic environment that promotes further tumorigenesis, provides innate systemic resistance, and suppresses anti-tumor immune invasion. This desmoplastic environment combined with the immunoregulatory events that allow it to persist serve as the primary focus of this review. The physical barrier and immune counterbalance in the tumor microenvironment (TME) make PDAC an immunologically cold tumor. To convert PDAC into an immunologically hot tumor, tumor microenvironment could be considered alongside the tumor cells. We discuss the complex network of microenvironment molecular and cellular composition and explore how they can be targeted to overcome immuno-therapeutic challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner Hartupee
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Bolni Marius Nagalo
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, United States
- The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Chiswili Y. Chabu
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Mulu Z. Tesfay
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Joycelynn Coleman-Barnett
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - John T. West
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Omeed Moaven
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Louisiana State University - Louisiana Children's Medical Center (LSU - LCMC) Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
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Romine KA, Bottomly D, Yashar W, Long N, Viehdorfer M, McWeeney SK, Tyner JW. Immune cell proportions correlate with clinicogenomic features and ex vivo drug responses in acute myeloid leukemia. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1192829. [PMID: 37361575 PMCID: PMC10285384 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1192829] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The implementation of small-molecule and immunotherapies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been challenging due to genetic and epigenetic variability amongst patients. There are many potential mechanisms by which immune cells could influence small-molecule or immunotherapy responses, yet, this area remains understudied. Methods Here we performed cell type enrichment analysis from over 560 AML patient bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from the Beat AML dataset to describe the functional immune landscape of AML. Results We identify multiple cell types that significantly correlate with AML clinical and genetic features, and we also observe significant correlations of immune cell proportions with ex vivo small-molecule and immunotherapy responses. Additionally, we generated a signature of terminally exhausted T cells (Tex) and identified AML with high monocytic proportions as strongly correlating with increased proportions of these immunosuppressive T cells. Discussion Our work, which is accessible through a new "Cell Type" module in our visualization platform (Vizome; http://vizome.org/), can be leveraged to investigate potential contributions of different immune cells on many facets of the biology of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A. Romine
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Daniel Bottomly
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - William Yashar
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Nicola Long
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Matthew Viehdorfer
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Shannon K. McWeeney
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Jeffrey W. Tyner
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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Luo L, Liu P, Zhao K, Zhao W, Zhang X. The Immune Microenvironment in Brain Metastases of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:698844. [PMID: 34336687 PMCID: PMC8316686 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.698844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer is associated with poor survival outcomes and poses rough clinical challenges. At the era of immunotherapy, it is urgent to perform a comprehensive study uncovering the specific immune microenvironment of brain metastases of NSCLC. The immune microenvironment of brain is distinctly different from microenvironments of extracranial lesions. In this review, we summarized the process of brain metastases across the barrier and revealed that brain is not completely immune-privileged. We comprehensively described the specific components of immune microenvironment for brain metastases such as central nervous system-derived antigen-presenting cells, microglia and astrocytes. Besides, the difference of immune microenvironment between brain metastases and primary foci of lung was particularly demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumeng Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peiyi Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, TongRen Hospital, School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kuaile Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weixin Zhao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Hong HK, Yun NH, Jeong YL, Park J, Doh J, Lee WY, Cho YB. Establishment of patient-derived organotypic tumor spheroid models for tumor microenvironment modeling. Cancer Med 2021; 10:5589-5598. [PMID: 34240815 PMCID: PMC8366099 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Patient‐derived cancer models that reconstitute the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment may facilitate efforts in precision immune‐oncology and the discovery of effective anticancer therapies. Organoids that have recently emerged as robust preclinical models typically contain tumor epithelial cells and lack the native tumor immune microenvironment. A patient‐derived organotypic tumor spheroid (PDOTS) is a novel and innovative ex vivo system that retains key features of the native tumor immune microenvironment. Here, we established and characterized a series of colorectal cancer PDOTS models for use as a preclinical platform for testing effective immunotherapy and its combinations with other drugs. Partially dissociated (> 100 μm in diameter) tumor tissues were embedded in Matrigel‐containing organoid media and subsequently formed into organoid structures within 3 to 7 days of culture. The success rate of growing PDOTS from fresh tissues was ~86%. Morphological analysis showed that the PDOTSs varied in size and structure. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analysis revealed that the PDOTSs retained autologous tumor‐infiltrating lymphoid cells and tumor‐infiltrating lymphoid cells were continually decreased through serial passages. Notably, PDOTSs from tumors from a high‐level microsatellite instability‐harboring patient were sensitive to anti‐PD‐1 or anti‐PD‐L1 antibodies. Our results demonstrate that the PDOTS model in which the tumor immune microenvironment is preserved may represent an advantageous ex vivo system to develop effective immune therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Kyung Hong
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nak Hyeon Yun
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ye-Lin Jeong
- Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeehun Park
- Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Junsang Doh
- Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Woo Yong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong Beom Cho
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sunkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
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Persano S, Das P, Pellegrino T. Magnetic Nanostructures as Emerging Therapeutic Tools to Boost Anti-Tumour Immunity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2735. [PMID: 34073106 PMCID: PMC8198238 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has shown remarkable results in various cancer types through a range of immunotherapeutic approaches, including chimeric antigen receptor-T cell (CAR-T) therapy, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), and therapeutic vaccines. Despite the enormous potential of cancer immunotherapy, its application in various clinical settings has been limited by immune evasion and immune suppressive mechanisms occurring locally or systemically, low durable response rates, and severe side effects. In the last decades, the rapid advancement of nanotechnology has been aiming at the development of novel synthetic nanocarriers enabling precise and enhanced delivery of immunotherapeutics, while improving drug stability and effectiveness. Magnetic nanostructured formulations are particularly intriguing because of their easy surface functionalization, low cost, and robust manufacturing procedures, together with their suitability for the implementation of magnetically-guided and heat-based therapeutic strategies. Here, we summarize and discuss the unique features of magnetic-based nanostructures, which can be opportunely designed to potentiate classic immunotherapies, such as therapeutic vaccines, ICB, adoptive cell therapy (ACT), and in situ vaccination. Finally, we focus on how multifunctional magnetic delivery systems can facilitate the anti-tumour therapies relying on multiple immunotherapies and/or other therapeutic modalities. Combinatorial magnetic-based therapies are indeed offering the possibility to overcome current challenges in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Persano
- Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy;
| | | | - Teresa Pellegrino
- Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy;
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Böttcher M, Baur R, Stoll A, Mackensen A, Mougiakakos D. Linking Immunoevasion and Metabolic Reprogramming in B-Cell-Derived Lymphomas. Front Oncol 2020; 10:594782. [PMID: 33251150 PMCID: PMC7674840 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.594782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphomas represent a diverse group of malignancies that emerge from lymphocytes. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment of lymphomas of B-cell origin, relapsed and refractory disease represents an unmet clinical need. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to better understand the lymphomas’ intrinsic features as well as the interactions with their cellular microenvironment for developing novel therapeutic strategies. In fact, the role of immune-based approaches is steadily increasing and involves amongst others the use of monoclonal antibodies against tumor antigens, inhibitors of immunological checkpoints, and even genetically modified T-cells. Metabolic reprogramming and immune escape both represent well established cancer hallmarks. Tumor metabolism as introduced by Otto Warburg in the early 20th century promotes survival, proliferation, and therapeutic resistance. Simultaneously, malignant cells employ a plethora of mechanisms to evade immune surveillance. Increasing evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming does not only confer cell intrinsic growth and survival advantages to tumor cells but also impacts local as well as systemic anti-tumor immunity. Tumor and immune cells compete over nutrients such as carbohydrates or amino acids that are critical for the immune cell function. Moreover, skewed metabolic pathways in malignant cells can result in abundant production and release of bioactive metabolites such as lactic acid, kynurenine or reactive oxygen species (ROS) that affect immune cell fitness and function. This “metabolic re-modeling” of the tumor microenvironment shifts anti-tumor immune reactivity toward tolerance. Here, we will review molecular events leading to metabolic alterations in B-cell lymphomas and their impact on anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Böttcher
- Department of Medicine 5 for Hematology and Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rebecca Baur
- Department of Medicine 5 for Hematology and Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andrej Stoll
- Department of Medicine 5 for Hematology and Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Mackensen
- Department of Medicine 5 for Hematology and Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dimitrios Mougiakakos
- Department of Medicine 5 for Hematology and Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Chauhan SKS, Koehl U, Kloess S. Harnessing NK Cell Checkpoint-Modulating Immunotherapies. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1807. [PMID: 32640575 PMCID: PMC7408278 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During the host immune response, the precise balance of the immune system, regulated by immune checkpoint, is required to avoid infection and cancer. These immune checkpoints are the mainstream regulator of the immune response and are crucial for self-tolerance. During the last decade, various new immune checkpoint molecules have been studied, providing an attractive path to evaluate their potential role as targets for effective therapeutic interventions. Checkpoint inhibitors have mainly been explored in T cells until now, but natural killer (NK) cells are a newly emerging target for the determination of checkpoint molecules. Simultaneously, an increasing number of therapeutic dimensions have been explored, including modulatory and inhibitory checkpoint molecules, either causing dysfunction or promoting effector functions. Furthermore, the combination of the immune checkpoint with other NK cell-based therapeutic strategies could also strengthen its efficacy as an antitumor therapy. In this review, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of the literature to date regarding underlying mechanisms of modulatory and inhibitory checkpoint molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Institute of cellular therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (U.K.); (S.K.)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephan Kloess
- Institute of cellular therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (U.K.); (S.K.)
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Abstract
Immunotherapy, with an increasing number of therapeutic dimensions, is becoming an important mode of treatment for cancer patients. The inhibition of immune checkpoints, which are the source of immune escape for various cancers, is one such immunotherapeutic dimension. It has mainly been aimed at T cells in the past, but NK cells are a newly emerging target. Simultaneously, the number of checkpoints identified has been increasing in recent times. In addition to the classical NK cell receptors KIRs, LIRs, and NKG2A, several other immune checkpoints have also been shown to cause dysfunction of NK cells in various cancers and chronic infections. These checkpoints include the revolutionized CTLA-4, PD-1, and recently identified B7-H3, as well as LAG-3, TIGIT & CD96, TIM-3, and the most recently acknowledged checkpoint-members of the Siglecs family (Siglec-7/9), CD200 and CD47. An interesting dimension of immune checkpoints is their candidacy for dual-checkpoint inhibition, resulting in therapeutic synergism. Furthermore, the combination of immune checkpoint inhibition with other NK cell cytotoxicity restoration strategies could also strengthen its efficacy as an antitumor therapy. Here, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of the literature to date regarding NK cell-based immune checkpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Khan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Sumbal Arooj
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Sialkot, Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Oyagawa CRM, de la Harpe SM, Saroz Y, Glass M, Vernall AJ, Grimsey NL. Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Signalling Bias Elicited by 2,4,6-Trisubstituted 1,3,5-Triazines. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1202. [PMID: 30524271 PMCID: PMC6256112 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) is predominantly distributed in immune tissues and cells and is a promising therapeutic target for modulating inflammation. In this study we designed and synthesised a series of 2,4,6-trisubstituted 1,3,5-triazines with piperazinylalkyl or 1,2-diethoxyethane (PEG2) chains as CB2 agonists, all of which were predicted to be considerably more polar than typical cannabinoid ligands. In this series, we found that triazines containing an adamantanyl group were conducive to CB2 binding whereas those with a cyclopentyl group were not. Although the covalent attachment of a PEG2 linker to the adamantyl triazines resulted in a decrease in binding affinity, some of the ligands produced very interesting hCB2 signalling profiles. Six compounds with notable hCB2 orthosteric binding were functionally characterised in three pathways; internalisation, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and ERK phosphorylation (pERK). These were predominantly confirmed to be hCB2 agonists, and upon comparison to a reference ligand (CP 55,940), four compounds exhibited signalling bias. Triazines 14 (UOSD017) and 15 were biased towards internalisation over cAMP and pERK, and 7 was biased away from pERK activation relative to cAMP and internalisation. Intriguingly, the triazine with an amino-PEG2-piperazinyl linker (13 [UOSD008]) was identified to be a mixed agonist/inverse agonist, exhibiting apparent neutral antagonism in the internalisation pathway, transient inverse agonism in the cAMP pathway and weak partial agonism in the pERK pathway. Both the cAMP and pERK signalling were pertussis toxin (PTX) sensitive, implying that 13 is acting as both a weak agonist and inverse agonist at CB2 via Gαi/o. Compound 10 (UOSD015) acted as a balanced high intrinsic efficacy agonist with the potential to produce greater hCB2-mediated efficacy than reference ligand CP 55,940. As 10 includes a Boc-protected PEG2 moiety it is also a promising candidate for further modification, for example with a secondary reporter or fluorophore. The highest affinity compound in this set of relatively polar hCB2 ligands was compound 16, which acted as a slightly partial balanced agonist in comparison with CP 55,940. The ligands characterised here may therefore exhibit unique functional properties in vivo and have the potential to be valuable in the future development of CB2-directed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin R. M. Oyagawa
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Yurii Saroz
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michelle Glass
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Natasha Lillia Grimsey
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Kobayashi Y, Watanabe T. Gel-Trapped Lymphorganogenic Chemokines Trigger Artificial Tertiary Lymphoid Organs and Mount Adaptive Immune Responses In Vivo. Front Immunol 2016; 7:316. [PMID: 27597851 PMCID: PMC4992816 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously generated artificial lymph node-like tertiary lymphoid organs (artTLOs) in mice using lymphotoxin α-expressing stromal cells. Here, we show the construction of transplantable and functional artTLOs by applying soluble factors trapped in slow-releasing gels in the absence of lymphoid tissue organizer stromal cells. The resultant artTLOs were easily removable, transplantable, and were capable of attracting memory B and T cells. Importantly, artTLOs induced a powerful antigen-specific secondary immune response, which was particularly pronounced in immune-compromised hosts. Synthesis of functionally stable immune tissues/organs like those described here may be a first step to eventually develop immune system-based therapeutics. Although much needs to be learned from the precise mechanisms of action, they may offer ways in the future to reestablish immune functions to overcome hitherto untreatable diseases, including severe infection, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and various forms of immune deficiencies, including immune-senescence during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Kobayashi
- The Tazuke-Kofukai Medical Research Institute, Kitano Hospital, Kita-ku , Osaka , Japan
| | - Takeshi Watanabe
- The Tazuke-Kofukai Medical Research Institute, Kitano Hospital, Kita-ku , Osaka , Japan
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Maertens G, Meheus L, Shapiro F, van Broekhoven A, Buyens G. GENimmune NV. Per Med 2008; 5:183-188. [PMID: 29783352 DOI: 10.2217/17410541.5.2.183] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
GENimmune NV is a newly created biopharmaceutical company, based in Belgium, that focuses on developing immune therapeutics against chronic infectious diseases characterized by inadequate immune responses. The company has already developed an early-stage pipeline of therapeutic vaccine candidates against the hepatitis B and C viruses and human papillomavirus. GENimmune's goal is to optimize the human immune response through rational vaccine design. Its vaccine-development strategy is based on the use of polyepitopes that take immunological plasticity and viral diversity into account. This represents an original approach to medical treatment. The company's R&D activities are supported by a biomanufacturing unit that also has an established track record of providing customized third-party contract services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Guy Buyens
- GENimmune NV, Technologiepark 6, Gent, Belgium.
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