技术资料

The development of effective cancer vaccines remains an urgent,but as yet unmet,clinical need. This deficiency is in part due to an incomplete understanding of how to best invoke dendritic cells (DC) that are crucial for the induction of tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells capable of mediating durable protective immunity. In this regard,elevated expression of the transcription factor X box-binding protein 1 (XBP1) in DC appears to play a decisive role in promoting the ability of DC to cross-present Ags to CD8(+) T cells in the therapeutic setting. Delivery of DNA vaccines encoding XBP1 and tumor Ag to skin DC resulted in increased IFN-? production by plasmacytoid DC (pDC) from skin/tumor draining lymph nodes and the cross-priming of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cell responses associated with therapeutic benefit. Antitumor protection was dependent on cross-presenting Batf3(+) DC,pDC,and CD8(+) T cells. CD103(+) DC from the skin/tumor draining lymph nodes of the immunized mice appeared responsible for activation of Ag-specific naive CD8(+) T cells,but were dependent on pDC for optimal effectiveness. Similarly,human XBP1 improved the capacity of human blood- and skin-derived DC to activate human T cells. These data support an important intrinsic role for XBP1 in DC for effective cross-priming and orchestration of Batf3(+) DC-pDC interactions,thereby enabling effective vaccine induction of protective antitumor immunity. View Publication

Redirecting Ag specificity by transfer of TCR genes into PBLs is an attractive method to generate large numbers of cytotoxic T cells for immunotherapy of cancer and viral diseases. However,transferred TCR chains can pair with endogenous TCR chains,resulting in the formation of mispaired TCR dimers and decreased or unspecific reactivity. TCR gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is an alternative to create T cells with desired Ag specificity,because in this case expression of endogenous TCR chains is then less likely owing to allelic exclusion. We generated TCR-transduced T cells from peripheral T cells using the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific P14 TCR. After transfer of the P14 TCR genes into HSCs and subsequent reconstitution of irradiated mice,TCR-engineered HSC-derived T cells were produced. We then compared the Ag-specific T cell populations with P14 TCR-transgenic T cells for their therapeutic efficiency in three in vivo models. In this study,we demonstrate that TCR-transduced T cells and TCR-engineered HSC-derived T cells are comparable in controlling lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection in mice and suppress growth of B16 tumor cells expressing the cognate Ag in a comparable manner. View Publication

Background Progressive T cell decline in aged humans is associated with a deficiency of naive (TN) and central memory (TCM) T cells. We have previously reported increased tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?)-induced apoptosis in TN and TCM T cells in aged humans; however,the molecular basis of increased apoptosis remains to be defined. Since expression of TNF receptors (TNFRs) was reported to be comparable in young and aged,we investigated signaling events downstream of TNFRs to understand the molecular basis of increased TNF-?-induced apoptosis in aged TN and TCM CD8+ cells. Results The expression of TRAF-2 and RIP,phosphorylation of JNK,IKK?/?,and I?B?,and activation of NF-?B activation were significantly decreased in TN and TCM CD8+ cells from aged subjects as compared to young controls. Furthermore,expression of A20,Bcl-xL,cIAP1,and FLIP-L and FLIP-S was significantly decreased in TN and TCM CD8+ cells from aged subjects. Conclusions These data demonstrate that an impaired expression/function of molecules downstream TNFR signaling pathway that confer survival signals contribute to increased apoptosis of TN and TCM CD8+ cells in aged humans. View Publication

Recent compelling evidence indicates that Th17 confer host immunity against a variety of microbes,including extracellular and intracellular pathogens. Therefore,understanding mechanisms for the induction and activation of Ag-specific Th17 is important for the rational design of vaccines against pathogens. To study this,we employed an in vitro system in which influenza hemagglutinin (HA) 1 was delivered to dendritic cells (DCs) via Dectin-1 using anti-human Dectin-1 (hDectin-1)-HA1 recombinant fusion proteins. We found that healthy individuals maintained broad ranges of HA1-specific memory Th17 that were efficiently activated by DCs targeted with anti-hDectin-1-HA1. Nonetheless,these DCs were not able to induce a significant level of HA1-specific Th17 responses even in the presence of the Th17-promoting cytokines IL-1? and IL-6. We further found that the induction of surface IL-1R1 expression by signals via TCRs and common ?-chain receptors was essential for naive CD4(+) T cell differentiation into HA1-specific Th17. This process was dependent on MyD88,but not IL-1R-associated kinase 1/4. Thus,interruptions in STAT3 or MyD88 signaling led to substantially diminished HA1-specific Th17 induction. Taken together,the de novo generation of pathogen-specific human Th17 requires complex,but complementary,actions of multiple signals. Data from this study will help us design a new and effective vaccine strategy that can promote Th17-mediated immunity against microbial pathogens. View Publication