A Rivas

Altered peptide ligand vaccination with Flt3 ligand expanded dendritic cells for tumor immunotherapy

Most tumor-associated antigens represent self-proteins and as a result are poorly immunogenic due to immune tolerance. Here we show that tolerance to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which is overexpressed by the majority of lethal malignancies, can be reversed by immunization with a CEA-derived peptide. This peptide was altered to make it a more potent T cell antigen and loaded onto dendritic cells (DCs) for delivery as a cellular vaccine. Although DCs are rare in the blood, we found that treatment of advanced cancer patients with Flt3 ligand, a hematopoietic growth factor, expanded DCs 20-fold in vivo. Immunization with these antigen-loaded DCs induced CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes that recognized tumor cells expressing endogenous CEA. Staining with peptide-MHC tetramers demonstrated the expansion of CD8 T cells that recognize both the native and altered epitopes and possess an effector cytotoxic T lymphocyte phenotype (CD45RA+CD27−CCR7−). After vaccination, two of 12 patients experienced dramatic tumor regression, one patient had a mixed response, and two had stable disease. Clinical response correlated with the expansion of CD8 tetramer+ T cells, confirming the role of CD8 T cells in this treatment strategy.

Cellular and molecular basis of human gamma delta T cell activation. Role of accessory molecules in alloactivation.

Although gamma delta T cell receptor-bearing lymphocytes (gamma delta T cells) constitute a significant minority of circulating and tissue-associated T lymphocytes, the mechanism responsible for the activation of these cells is unknown. To address this question, resting gamma delta TCR+, CD3+, CD4-, CD8- cells isolated from the blood of healthy volunteers were cultured with allogeneic dendritic cells (DC) or monocytes, and their proliferative response measured. DC alone induced gamma delta T cells to proliferate, with a peak response on the sixth day of culture. Pretreatment of DC with an anti-HLA-DR mAb, but not anti-HLA class I or anti-CD1 mAbs, inhibited the response of gamma delta T cells. Antibodies to gamma delta T cell receptor, CD2, CD3, or CD11a were also inhibitory, whereas antibodies to alpha beta T cell receptor, CD4, CD5, and CD8 had no effect. Although only 40-60% of freshly isolated gamma delta T cells expressed CD28, mAbs directed against CD28 or its ligand, CD80, were markedly inhibitory. Moreover, removal of CD28+ cells from the gamma delta T cell population nearly abrogated the response to DC. These results demonstrate that resting gamma delta T cells recognize and respond to MHC class II determinants on allogeneic DC in a manner that is highly dependent on the CD28 activation pathway as well as molecules such as CD2 and CD11a that mediate cell-to-cell adhesion.

The VLA-4/VCAM-1 molecules participate in γδ cell interaction with endothelial cells

Abstract The accumulation of T lymphocytes at the site of chronic inflammation depends on a number of factors including adherence of T cells to vascular endothelial cells (EC) and endothelial permeability. We examined the effects of human γδ + T lymphocytes on the permeability of EC to macromolecules and characterized the cell surface molecules that are involved in these interactions. In this model, the flux of [ 125 I]albumin was measured across the EC monolayer after a short-term culture with cloned γδ cells. Our results show that coculture of activated, but not resting, γδ cells with EC enhances endothelial permeability by a cytolytic process. Pretreating γδ cells with monoclonal antibodies directed at either LFA-1 or VLA-4 molecules or pretreating EC with monoclonal antibodies directed against either ICAM-1 or VCAM-1 molecules significantly inhibited γδ cellmediated enhancement in endothelial permeability. This indicated that VLA-4/VCAM-1 and LFA-1/ICAM-1 adhesion pathways participate in γδ cell-EC interaction.