0000000000021620
AUTHOR
Pamela Stein
UV Exposure Boosts Transcutaneous Immunization and Improves Tumor Immunity: Cytotoxic T-Cell Priming through the Skin
Immunologic approaches to combat cancer aim at the induction of tumor-reactive immune responses to achieve long-term protection. In this context, we recently developed a transcutaneous immunization (TCI) method using the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 agonist imiquimod and a peptide epitope. Application onto intact skin induces potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses and protection against transplanted tumors. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of UV irradiation on imiquimod-based TCI. Here we show that skin exposure to low-dose UV light before TCI with imiquimod strongly boosts specific CTL responses leading to memory formation and enhanced tumor protection. Toward the …
Distinct Signaling Cascades of TREM-1, TLR and NLR in Neutrophils and Monocytic Cells
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is an important mediator of innate inflammatory responses in microbial infections and sepsis. TREM-1 ligation on neutrophils (PMN) or monocytes results in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Engagement of TREM-1 induces the activation of MAP kinases as well as rapid Ca<sup>2+</sup> mobilization. However, a detailed understanding of TREM-1 signaling pathways is currently lacking. We evaluated the TREM-1 signaling hierarchy in monocytic cells and found that the acute myeloid leukemia cell line MUTZ-3 expresses TREM-1 in a natural and functional manner. We compared essential signaling molecules of the TREM-1, TLR an…
Donor and host B cell-derived IL-10 contributes to suppression of graft-versus-host disease
Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a frequent life-threatening complication following allogeneic HSC transplantation (HSCT). IL-10 is a regulatory cytokine with important roles during GvHD, yet its relevant sources, and mode of action, remain incompletely defined in this disease. Using IL-10-deficient donor or host mice (BALB/c or C57BL/6, respectively) in a MHC-mismatched model for acute GvHD, we found a strongly aggravated course of the disease with increased mortality when either donor or host cells could not produce this cytokine. A lack of IL-10 resulted in increased allogeneic T-cell responses and enhanced activation of host DCs in spleen and MLNs. Remarkably, IL-10 was prominently p…
Steady-state neutrophil homeostasis is dependent on TLR4/TRIF signaling
Polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (neutrophils) are tightly controlled by an incompletely understood homeostatic feedback loop adjusting the marrow's supply to peripheral needs. Although it has long been known that marrow cellularity is inversely correlated with G-CSF levels, the mechanism linking peripheral clearance to production remains unknown. Herein, the feedback response to antibody induced neutropenia is characterized to consist of G-CSF–dependent shifts of marrow hematopoietic progenitor populations including expansion of the lin-/Sca-1/c-kit (LSK) and granulocyte macrophage progenitor (GMP) compartments at the expense of thrombopoietic and red cell precursors. Evidence is …
Regulatory T Cells and IL-10 Independently Counterregulate Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses Induced by Transcutaneous Immunization
Background: The imidazoquinoline derivate imiquimod induces inflammatory responses and protection against transplanted tumors when applied to the skin in combination with a cognate peptide epitope (transcutaneous immunization, TCI). Here we investigated the role of regulatory T cells (Treg) and the suppressive cytokine IL-10 in restricting TCI-induced cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Methodology/Principal Findings: TCI was performed with an ointment containing the TLR7 agonist imiquimod and a CTL epitope was applied to the depilated back skin of C57BL/6 mice. Using specific antibodies and FoxP3-diphteria toxin receptor transgenic (DEREG) mice, we interrogated inhibiting factors after…
A Role for NFAT in Innate Immunity: Neutrophil Effector Functions in Patients after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Under Cyclosporine Α Treatment
Abstract Background and Aims: Patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) suffer from immunodeficiency, in part due to long-term immunosuppressive medication e.g. by calcineurin inhibitors like cyclosporine A (CsA). Additionally, these patients have an increased risk for opportunistic fungal infections like invasive aspergillosis (IA). The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) is known as an important transcription factor in signaling-pathways downstream of calcineurin in the adaptive immune systems, e.g. in T cells, but also plays an important role in innate immune response as indicated by recent data in rodent models. These studies showed a relevant impac…
Host-Derived CD8+ Dendritic Cells Protect Against Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease after Experimental Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent life-threatening complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and induced by donor-derived T cells that become activated by host antigen-presenting cells. To address the relevance of host dendritic cell (DC) populations in this disease, we used mouse strains deficient in CD11c(+) or CD8α(+) DC populations in a model of acute GVHD where bone marrow and T cells from BALB/c donors were transplanted into C57BL/6 hosts. Surprisingly, a strong increase in GVHD-related mortality was observed in the absence of CD11c(+) cells. Likewise, Batf3-deficient (Batf3(-/-)) mice that lack CD8α(+) DCs also displayed a strongly incr…
A role for Toll-like receptor mediated signals in neutrophils in the pathogenesis of the anti-phospholipid syndrome.
The anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by recurrent thrombosis and occurrence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL). aPL are necessary, but not sufficient for the clinical manifestations of APS. Growing evidence suggests a role of innate immune cells, in particular polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and Toll-like receptors (TLR) to be additionally involved. aPL activate endothelial cells and monocytes through a TLR4-dependent signalling pathway. Whether this is also relevant for PMN in a similar way is currently not known. To address this issue, we used purified PMN from healthy donors and stimulated them in the presence or absence of human monoclonal aPL and the TLR4 agonis…
Transcutaneous Immunization with a Solid Nanoscopic Imiquimod Suspension Enhances Tumor Rejection
Abstract Introduction: Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) is a novel vaccination strategy to induce strong therapeutic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses by directly targeting skin-resident professional antigen-presenting cells (APC). This vaccination approach is very promising to overcome current limitations of standard vaccination approaches that are mostly effective in prophylaxis, but not in the treatment of diseases. In this context, we have developed a TCI method based on a synthetic TLR7 agonist imiquimod that partial tumor protection in experimental rodent models. In our present work, we describe a novel optimized formulation of imiquimod in a solid suspension of crystalline imiq…
Neutrophil Recruitment Is Regulated By Adamts-13 in a Murine Model of Invasive Aspergillosis
Abstract Introduction: During inflammation von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers are secreted as an acute phase protein whereupon the size and the prothrombotic activity play an essential role. The size of VWF multimers is regulated by the specific proteolytic activity of ADAMTS-13 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with ThromboSpondin type 1 repeats-13) which is diminished under several pathological conditions. Employing a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) we aimed to determine the relevance of this regulatory pathway for innate inflammatory responses and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) recruitment which is crucial for fungal clearance and survival. Methods: IPA was…
Comparative transcutaneous immunization with imiquimod-containing ointments and potential of in vitro methods to predict effects
This work evaluates the transcutaneous in vitro and in vivo immunization efficacy of five commercially available 5% imiquimod containing formulations. The parameters included micro- scopic analysis, rheological properties, drug permeation across synthetic membranes of molecular weight cutoff 10kDa and ablated murine skin with both 0.1 M HCl and a phthalate buffer pH 3.6 Ph.Eur./methanol 3/7 (v/v) as receiver solutions in a Franz-diffusion cell model. For in vivo formu- lation characterization, the cytotoxic T-cell activity and interferon-g production in C57BL/6 mice was determined ex vivo 24h after transcutaneous administration. OVA257264 (SIINFEKL) from chicken al- bumin served as a target…
Oxidative burst and neutrophil elastase contribute to clearance of Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia in mice.
Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are important for the control of invasive aspergillosis (IA), a major threat to immunocompromised individuals. For clearance of Aspergillus fumigatus infections, PMN employ their potent oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms. To clarify the relative contribution of these mechanisms, we analyzed p47(phox-/-), gp91(phox-/-) and elastase (ELA) deficient mice (ELANE) after intratracheal infection with A. fumigatus. Infected p47(phox-/-) and gp91(phox-/-) mice died within 4 days and had a significant higher fungal burden in the lungs compared to wild-type controls. Interestingly, the survival of ELANE mice after infection was unimpaired suggesting that ELA is …
Solid nanoemulsion as antigen and immunopotentiator carrier for transcutaneous immunization
Imiquimod, a toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist, is an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) established for the topical treatment of several dermal cancerous and precancerous skin lesions. Within this work, the immunostimulatory effect of imiquimod is further exploited in a transcutaneous immunization (TCI) approach based on a solid nanoemulsion (SN) formulation. SN contains a combination of imiquimod with the model peptide antigen SIINFEKL as a novel approach to omit needle and syringe and optimize dermal antigen administration. Excipients including sucrose fatty acid esters and the pharmaceutically acceptable oils MCT (middle chain triglycerides), avocado oil, jojoba wax and squalene a…