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Pagendarm HM, Stone PT, Kimmel BR, Baljon JJ, Aziz MH, Pastora LE, Hubert L, Roth EW, Almunif S, Scott EA, Wilson JT. Engineering endosomolytic nanocarriers of diverse morphologies using confined impingement jet mixing. Nanoscale 2023; 15:16016-16029. [PMID: 37753868 PMCID: PMC10568979 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr02874g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The clinical translation of many biomolecular therapeutics has been hindered by undesirable pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, inadequate membrane permeability, poor endosomal escape and cytosolic delivery, and/or susceptibility to degradation. Overcoming these challenges merits the development of nanoscale drug carriers (nanocarriers) to improve the delivery of therapeutic cargo. Herein, we implement a flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) approach to produce nanocarriers of diverse vesicular morphologies by using various molecular weight PEG-bl-DEAEMA-co-BMA (PEG-DB) polymers. We demonstrated that FNP can produce uniform (PDI < 0.1) particles after 5 impingements, and that by varying the copolymer hydrophilic mass fraction, FNP enables access to a diverse variety of nanoarchitectures including micelles, unilamellar vesicles (polymersomes), and multi-compartment vesicles (MCVs). We synthesized a library of 2 kDa PEG block copolymers, with DEAEMA-co-BMA second block molecular weights of 3, 6, 12, 15, 20, and 30 kDa. All formulations were both pH responsive, endosomolytic, and capable of loading and cytosolically delivering small negatively charged molecules - albeit to different degrees. Using a B16.F10 melanoma model, we showcased the therapeutic potential of a lead FNP formulated PEG-DB nanocarrier, encapsulating the cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) cGAMP to activate the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway in a therapeutically relevant context. Collectively, these data demonstrate that an FNP process can be used to formulate pH-responsive nanocarriers of diverse morphologies using a PEG-DB polymer system. As FNP is an industrially scalable process, these data address the critical translational challenge of producing PEG-DB nanoparticles at scale. Furthermore, the diverse morphologies produced may specialize in the delivery of distinct biomolecular cargos for other therapeutic applications, implicating the therapeutic potential of this platform in an array of disease applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden M Pagendarm
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
| | - Payton T Stone
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Blaise R Kimmel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jessalyn J Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
| | - Mina H Aziz
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Lucinda E Pastora
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Lauren Hubert
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Eric W Roth
- NUANCE BioCryo, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Sultan Almunif
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Evan A Scott
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - John T Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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2
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Wang-Bishop L, Kimmel BR, Ngwa VM, Madden MZ, Baljon JJ, Florian DC, Hanna A, Pastora LE, Sheehy TL, Kwiatkowski AJ, Wehbe M, Wen X, Becker KW, Garland KM, Schulman JA, Shae D, Edwards D, Wolf MM, Delapp R, Christov PP, Beckermann KE, Balko JM, Rathmell WK, Rathmell JC, Chen J, Wilson JT. STING-activating nanoparticles normalize the vascular-immune interface to potentiate cancer immunotherapy. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadd1153. [PMID: 37146128 PMCID: PMC10226150 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The tumor-associated vasculature imposes major structural and biochemical barriers to the infiltration of effector T cells and effective tumor control. Correlations between stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway activation and spontaneous T cell infiltration in human cancers led us to evaluate the effect of STING-activating nanoparticles (STANs), which are a polymersome-based platform for the delivery of a cyclic dinucleotide STING agonist, on the tumor vasculature and attendant effects on T cell infiltration and antitumor function. In multiple mouse tumor models, intravenous administration of STANs promoted vascular normalization, evidenced by improved vascular integrity, reduced tumor hypoxia, and increased endothelial cell expression of T cell adhesion molecules. STAN-mediated vascular reprogramming enhanced the infiltration, proliferation, and function of antitumor T cells and potentiated the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cell therapy. We present STANs as a multimodal platform that activates and normalizes the tumor microenvironment to enhance T cell infiltration and function and augments responses to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Wang-Bishop
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Blaise R. Kimmel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Verra M. Ngwa
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Matthew Z. Madden
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Jessalyn J. Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - David C. Florian
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Ann Hanna
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Lucinda E. Pastora
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Taylor L. Sheehy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Alexander J. Kwiatkowski
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Mohamed Wehbe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Xiaona Wen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kyle W. Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kyle M. Garland
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Jacob A. Schulman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Daniel Shae
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Deanna Edwards
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Melissa M. Wolf
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Rossane Delapp
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Plamen P. Christov
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kathryn E. Beckermann
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Justin M. Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - W. Kimryn Rathmell
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - John T. Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
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Florian D, Bennett NE, Odziomek M, Baljon JJ, Wehbe M, Merkel A, Fischer MA, Savona MR, Rhoades JA, Guelcher SA, Wilson JT. Nanoparticle STING Agonist Reprograms the Bone Marrow to an Anti-Tumor Phenotype and Protects Against Bone Destruction. Cancer Research Communications 2023; 3:223-234. [PMID: 36968140 PMCID: PMC10035525 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
When breast cancer metastasizes to bone, treatment options are limited. Failure to treat bone metastases is thought to be due to therapy-resistant features of the bone marrow microenvironment. Using a murine model of bone metastatic mammary carcinoma, we demonstrate that systemic delivery of polymer nanoparticles loaded with cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) agonists of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) inhibited tumor growth and bone destruction after 7 days of treatment. Each dose of STING-activating nanoparticles (STING-NPs) trafficked to the bone marrow compartment and was retained within the tumor microenvironment for over 24 h, enhancing antitumor immunity through proinflammatory cytokine production and early T cell activation. While acquired resistance mechanisms, including increased levels of immunosuppressive cytokines and the infiltration of regulatory T cells, ultimately limited antitumor efficacy after two weeks of treatment, bone protective effects remained. Overall, these studies demonstrate that STING pathway activation, here enabled using a nanomedicine approach to enhance CDN delivery to bone metastatic sites, can reprogram the immune contexture of the bone marrow to an antitumor phenotype that inhibits bone colonization of metastatic breast cancer cells and protects from tumor-mediated bone destruction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mohamed Wehbe
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Alyssa Merkel
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | | | - Michael R. Savona
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Julie A Rhoades
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States
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Baljon JJ, Wilson JT. Bioinspired vaccines to enhance MHC class-I antigen cross-presentation. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 77:102215. [PMID: 35667222 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2022.102215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Cross-presentation of exogenous antigen on MHC class-I is a crucial process for generating a CD8+ T cell response, and is therefore an important design consideration in the development of T-cell-engaging vaccines against viruses, intracellular bacteria, and cancers. Here, we briefly summarize known cross-presentation pathways and highlight how synthetic vaccines can be engineered to enhance MHC-I presentation of exogenous peptide and protein antigens by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In particular, we summarize how molecular engineering and nanotechnology are being harnessed to enhance antigen delivery to lymph nodes and to cross-presenting dendritic cells, to bypass endosomal trafficking of exogenous antigen to promote delivery of antigen to the cytosol of APCs, and to coordinate the delivery of antigen with immune-stimulating adjuvants that can act synergistically to augment antigen cross-presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessalyn J Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - John T Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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5
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Carson CS, Becker KW, Garland KM, Pagendarm HM, Stone PT, Arora K, Wang-Bishop L, Baljon JJ, Cruz LD, Joyce S, Wilson JT. A nanovaccine for enhancing cellular immunity via cytosolic co-delivery of antigen and polyIC RNA. J Control Release 2022; 345:354-370. [PMID: 35301055 PMCID: PMC9133199 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Traditional approaches to cancer vaccines elicit weak CD8+ T cell responses and have largely failed to meet clinical expectations. This is in part due to inefficient antigen cross-presentation, inappropriate selection of adjuvant and its formulation, poor vaccine pharmacokinetics, and/or suboptimal coordination of antigen and adjuvant delivery. Here, we describe a nanoparticle vaccine platform for facile co-loading and dual-delivery of antigens and nucleic acid adjuvants that elicits robust antigen-specific cellular immune responses. The nanovaccine design is based on diblock copolymers comprising a poly(ethylene glycol)-rich first block that is functionalized with reactive moieties for covalent conjugation of antigen via disulfide linkages, and a pH-responsive second block for electrostatic packaging of nucleic acids that also facilitates endosomal escape of associated vaccine cargo to the cytosol. Using polyIC, a clinically-advanced nucleic acid adjuvant, we demonstrated that endosomolytic nanoparticles promoted the cytosolic co-delivery of polyIC and protein antigen, which acted synergistically to enhance antigen cross-presentation, co-stimulatory molecule expression, and cytokine production by dendritic cells. We also found that the vaccine platform increased the accumulation of antigen and polyIC in the local draining lymph nodes. Consequently, dual-delivery of antigen and polyIC with endsomolytic nanoparticles significantly enhanced the magnitude and functionality of CD8+ T cell responses relative to a mixture of antigen and polyIC, resulting in inhibition of tumor growth in a mouse tumor model. Collectively, this work provides a proof-of-principle for a new cancer vaccine platform that strongly augments anti-tumor cellular immunity via cytosolic co-delivery of antigen and nucleic acid adjuvant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carcia S Carson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kyle W Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kyle M Garland
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Hayden M Pagendarm
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Payton T Stone
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Karan Arora
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Lihong Wang-Bishop
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jessalyn J Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Lorena D Cruz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Sebastian Joyce
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - John T Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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6
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Wehbe M, Wang-Bishop L, Becker KW, Shae D, Baljon JJ, He X, Christov P, Boyd KL, Balko JM, Wilson JT. Nanoparticle delivery improves the pharmacokinetic properties of cyclic dinucleotide STING agonists to open a therapeutic window for intravenous administration. J Control Release 2021; 330:1118-1129. [PMID: 33189789 PMCID: PMC9008741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway plays an important role in the immune surveillance of cancer and, accordingly, agonists of STING signaling have recently emerged as promising therapeutics for remodeling of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and enhancing response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors. 2'3'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (2'3'-cGAMP) is the endogenous ligand for STING, but is rapidly metabolized and poorly membrane permeable, restricting its use to intratumoral administration. Nanoencapsulation has been shown to allow for systemic administration of cGAMP and other cyclic dinucleotides (CDN), but little is known about how nanocarriers affect important pharmacological properties that impact the efficacy and safety of CDNs. Using STING-activating nanoparticles (STING-NPs) - a polymersome platform designed to enhance cGAMP delivery - we investigate the pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) relationships that underlie the ability of intravenously (i.v.) administered STING-NPs to induce STING activation and inhibit tumor growth. First, we demonstrate that nanoencapsulation improves the half-life of encapsulated cGAMP by 40-fold, allowing for sufficient accumulation of cGAMP in tumors and activation of the STING pathway in the TME as assessed by western blot analysis and gene expression profiling. Nanoparticle delivery also changes the biodistribution profile, resulting in increased cGAMP accumulation and STING activation in the liver and spleen, which we identify as dose limiting organs. As a consequence of STING activation in tumors, i.v. administered STING-NPs reprogram the TME towards a more immunogenic antitumor milieu, characterized by an influx of >20-fold more CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Consequently, STING-NPs increased response rates to αPD-L1 antibodies, resulting in significant improvements in median survival time in a B16-F10 melanoma model. Additionally, we confirmed STING-NP monotherapy in an additional melanoma (YUMM1.7) and breast adenocarcinoma (E0771) models leading to >50% and 80% reduction in tumor burden, respectively, and significant increases in median survival time. Collectively, this work provides an examination of the PK-PD relationship governing STING activation upon systemic delivery using STING-NPs, providing insight for future optimization for nanoparticle-based STING agonists and other immunomodulating nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Wehbe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Lihong Wang-Bishop
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kyle W Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Daniel Shae
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Jessalyn J Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Xinyi He
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Plamen Christov
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Kelli L Boyd
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Justin M Balko
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - John T Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States.
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Shae D, Baljon JJ, Wehbe M, Christov PP, Becker KW, Kumar A, Suryadevara N, Carson CS, Palmer CR, Knight FC, Joyce S, Wilson JT. Co-delivery of Peptide Neoantigens and Stimulator of Interferon Genes Agonists Enhances Response to Cancer Vaccines. ACS Nano 2020; 14:9904-9916. [PMID: 32701257 PMCID: PMC7775800 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c02765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer vaccines targeting patient-specific neoantigens have emerged as a promising strategy for improving responses to immune checkpoint blockade. However, neoantigenic peptides are poorly immunogenic and inept at stimulating CD8+ T cell responses, motivating a need for new vaccine technologies that enhance their immunogenicity. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is an endogenous mechanism by which the innate immune system generates an immunological context for priming and mobilizing neoantigen-specific T cells. Owing to this critical role in tumor immune surveillance, a synthetic cancer nanovaccine platform (nanoSTING-vax) was developed that mimics immunogenic cancer cells in its capacity to efficiently promote co-delivery of peptide antigens and the STING agonist, cGAMP. The co-loading of cGAMP and peptides into pH-responsive, endosomolytic polymersomes promoted the coordinated delivery of both cGAMP and peptide antigens to the cytosol, thereby eliciting inflammatory cytokine production, co-stimulatory marker expression, and antigen cross-presentation. Consequently, nanoSTING-vax significantly enhanced CD8+ T cell responses to a range of peptide antigens. Therapeutic immunization with nanoSTING-vax, in combination with immune checkpoint blockade, inhibited tumor growth in multiple murine tumor models, even leading to complete tumor rejection and generation of durable antitumor immune memory. Collectively, this work establishes nanoSTING-vax as a versatile platform for enhancing immune responses to neoantigen-targeted cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shae
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jessalyn J. Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Mohamed Wehbe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Plamen P. Christov
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232
| | - Kyle W. Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Amrendra Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Naveenchandra Suryadevara
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Carcia S. Carson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Christian R. Palmer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Frances C. Knight
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Sebastian Joyce
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - John T. Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232
- Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Corresponding Author:
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8
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Shae D, Baljon JJ, Wehbe M, Becker KW, Sheehy TL, Wilson JT. At the bench: Engineering the next generation of cancer vaccines. J Leukoc Biol 2019; 108:1435-1453. [PMID: 31430398 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.5bt0119-016r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer vaccines hold promise as an immunotherapeutic modality based on their potential to generate tumor antigen-specific T cell responses and long-lived antitumor responses capable of combating metastatic disease and recurrence. However, cancer vaccines have historically failed to deliver significant therapeutic benefit in the clinic, which we maintain is due in part to drug delivery challenges that have limited vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy. In this review, we examine some of the known and putative failure mechanisms of common first-generation clinical cancer vaccines, and describe how the rational design of materials engineered for vaccine delivery and immunomodulation can address these shortcomings. First, we outline vaccine design principles for augmenting cellular immunity to tumor antigens and describe how well-engineered materials can improve vaccine efficacy, highlighting recent innovations in vaccine delivery technology that are primed for integration into neoantigen vaccine development pipelines. We also discuss the importance of sequencing, timing, and kinetics in mounting effective immune responses to cancer vaccines, and highlight examples of materials that potentiate antitumor immunity through spatiotemporal control of immunomodulation. Furthermore, we describe several engineering strategies for improving outcomes of in situ cancer vaccines, which leverage local, intratumoral delivery to stimulate systemic immunity. Finally, we highlight recent innovations leveraging nanotechnology for increasing the immunogenicity of the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is critical to enhancing tumor infiltration and function of T cells elicited in response to cancer vaccines. These immunoengineering strategies and tools complement ongoing advances in cancer vaccines as they reemerge as an important component of the immunotherapeutic armamentarium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shae
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jessalyn J Baljon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mohamed Wehbe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kyle W Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Taylor L Sheehy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - John Tanner Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Baljon JJ, Dandy A, Wang-Bishop L, Wehbe M, Jacobson ME, Wilson JT. Correction: The efficiency of cytosolic drug delivery using pH-responsive endosomolytic polymers does not correlate with activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Biomater Sci 2019; 7:2200. [PMID: 30977488 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm90022e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Correction for 'The efficiency of cytosolic drug delivery using pH-responsive endosomolytic polymers does not correlate with activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome' by Jessalyn J. Baljon et al., Biomater. Sci., 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c8bm01643g.
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Baljon JJ, Dandy A, Wang-Bishop L, Wehbe M, Jacobson ME, Wilson JT. The efficiency of cytosolic drug delivery using pH-responsive endosomolytic polymers does not correlate with activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Biomater Sci 2019; 7:1888-1897. [PMID: 30843539 PMCID: PMC6478565 DOI: 10.1039/c8bm01643g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Inefficient cytosolic delivery has limited the development of many promising biomacromolecular drugs, a long-standing challenge that has prompted extensive development of drug carriers that facilitate endosomal escape. Although many such carriers have shown considerable promise for cytosolic delivery of a diversity of therapeutics, the rupture or destabilization of endo/lysosomal membranes has also been associated with activation of the inflammasome with attendant risk of inflammation and toxicity. In this study, we investigated relationships between pH-dependent membrane destabilization, cytosolic drug delivery, and inflammasome activation using a series of well-defined poly[(ethylene glycol)-block-[(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-co-(butyl methacrylate)] copolymers of variable second block composition and pH-responsive properties. We found that polymers that demonstrated the most potent membrane-destabilizing activity at early endosomal pH values in an erythrocyte hemolysis assay were most efficient at delivery of siRNA, yet tended to be associated with the least amount of NOD-like related protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. By contrast, polymers that displayed minimal hemolysis activity and poor siRNA knockdown, and instead mediated lysosomal rupture likely due to a proton sponge mechanism, strongly induced NLPR3 inflammasome activation in a caspase- and cathepsin-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings reinforce the importance of early endosomal escape in minimizing inflammasome activation and also demonstrate the ability to tune the degree inflammasome activation via control of polymer structure with potential implications for design of vaccine adjuvants and immunotherapeutics.
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Qiu F, Becker KW, Knight FC, Baljon JJ, Sevimli S, Shae D, Gilchuk P, Joyce S, Wilson JT. Poly(propylacrylic acid)-peptide nanoplexes as a platform for enhancing the immunogenicity of neoantigen cancer vaccines. Biomaterials 2018; 182:82-91. [PMID: 30107272 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Cancer vaccines targeting patient-specific tumor neoantigens have recently emerged as a promising component of the rapidly expanding immunotherapeutic armamentarium. However, neoantigenic peptides typically elicit weak CD8+ T cell responses, and so there is a need for universally applicable vaccine delivery strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of these peptides. Ideally, such vaccines could also be rapidly fabricated using chemically synthesized peptide antigens customized to an individual patient. Here, we describe a strategy for simple and rapid packaging of peptide antigens into pH-responsive nanoparticles with endosomal escape activity. Electrostatically-stabilized polyplex nanoparticles (nanoplexes) can be assembled instantaneously by mixing decalysine-modified antigenic peptides and poly(propylacrylic acid) (pPAA), a polyanion with pH-dependent, membrane destabilizing activity. These nanoplexes increase and prolong antigen uptake and presentation on MHC-I (major histocompatibility complex class I) molecules expressed by dendritic cells, resulting in enhanced activation of CD8+ T cells. Using an intranasal immunization route, nanoplex vaccines inhibit formation of lung metastases in a murine melanoma model. Additionally, nanoplex vaccines strongly synergize with the adjuvant α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) in stimulating robust CD8+ T cell responses, significantly increasing survival time in mice with established melanoma tumors. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that peptide/pPAA nanoplexes offer a facile and versatile platform for enhancing CD8+ T cell responses to peptide antigens, with potential to complement ongoing advancements in the development of neoantigen-targeted cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Qiu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Laboratory of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Kyle W Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Frances C Knight
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, USA
| | | | - Sema Sevimli
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Daniel Shae
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Pavlo Gilchuk
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, USA; Department of Veterans Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, USA
| | - Sebastian Joyce
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, USA; Department of Veterans Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, USA
| | - John T Wilson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA.
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Cui ZK, Kim S, Baljon JJ, Doroudgar M, Lafleur M, Wu BM, Aghaloo T, Lee M. Design and Characterization of a Therapeutic Non-phospholipid Liposomal Nanocarrier with Osteoinductive Characteristics To Promote Bone Formation. ACS Nano 2017; 11:8055-8063. [PMID: 28787576 PMCID: PMC5575928 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b02702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Sterosomes are recently developed types of non-phospholipid liposomes formed from single-chain amphiphiles and high content of sterols. Although sterosomes presented significantly increased stability compared to conventional phospholipid liposomes, current sterosome biomaterials are not truly bioactive and have no intrinsic therapeutic effects. The purpose of this study was to develop a sterosome formulation with osteoinductive properties by an effective selection of sterol, one of the sterosome components. Oxysterols are oxidized derivatives of cholesterol and are known to stimulate osteogenesis and bone formation. Thus, 20S-hydroxycholesterol (Oxy), one of the most potent oxysterols for bone regeneration, was examined as a promising candidate molecule to form fluid lamellar phases with a single-chain amphiphile, namely, stearylamine (SA). First, the optimal composition was identified by investigating the phase behavior of SA/Oxy mixtures. Next, the capacity of the optimized SA/Oxy sterosomes to promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells was assessed in vitro in a hydrogel environment. Furthermore, we explored the effects of osteogenic oxysterol sterosomes in vivo with the mouse critical-sized calvarial defect model. Our results showed that SA/Oxy sterosomes induced osteogenic differentiation in vitro and enhanced calvarial healing without delivery of additional therapeutic agents, indicating their intrinsic bone-forming potential. This study suggests a promising non-phospholipid liposomal platform with osteoinductive properties for delivery of small molecular drugs and/or other therapeutic genes for enhanced bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Kai Cui
- Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Soyon Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Jessalyn J. Baljon
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Mahmoudreza Doroudgar
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, C.P.6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Michel Lafleur
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, C.P.6128, Succ. Centre Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Benjamin M Wu
- Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Tara Aghaloo
- Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Min Lee
- Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, University of California Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Corresponding author. Tel: +1 310 825 6674, Fax: +1 310 825 6345,
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Cui ZK, Sun JA, Baljon JJ, Fan J, Kim S, Wu BM, Aghaloo T, Lee M. Simultaneous delivery of hydrophobic small molecules and siRNA using Sterosomes to direct mesenchymal stem cell differentiation for bone repair. Acta Biomater 2017; 58:214-224. [PMID: 28578107 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of small molecular drugs with gene manipulation offers synergistic therapeutic efficacy by targeting multiple signaling pathways for combined treatment. Stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with osteoinductive small molecule phenamil combined with suppression of noggin is a promising therapeutic strategy that increases bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and bone repair. Our cationic Sterosome formulated with stearylamine (SA) and cholesterol (Chol) is an attractive co-delivery system that not only forms stable complexes with small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules but also solubilizes hydrophobic small molecules in a single vehicle, for directing stem cell differentiation. Herein, we demonstrate the ability of SA/Chol Sterosomes to simultaneously deliver hydrophobic small molecule phenamil and noggin-directed siRNA to enhance osteogenic differentiation of MSCs both in in vitro two- and three-dimensional settings as well as in a mouse calvarial defect model. These results suggest a novel liposomal platform to simultaneously deliver therapeutic genes and small molecules for combined therapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Application of phenamil, a small molecular bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) stimulator, combined with suppression of natural BMP antagonists such as noggin is a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance bone regeneration. Here, we present a novel strategy to co-deliver hydrophobic small molecule phenamil and noggin-targeted siRNA via cationic Sterosomes formed with stearylamine (SA) and high content of cholesterol (Chol) to enhance osteogenesis and bone repair. SA/Chol Sterosomes demonstrated high phenamil encapsulation efficiency, supported sustained release of encapsulated drugs, and significantly reduced drug dose requirements to induce osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Simultaneous deliver of phenamil and noggin siRNA in a single vehicle synergistically enhanced MSC osteogenesis and calvarial bone repair. This study suggests a new non-phospholipid liposomal formulation to simultaneously deliver small molecules and therapeutic genes for combined treatment.
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