Lola Weiss

Cannabidiol lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice

Cannabidinoids are components of the Cannabis sativa (marijuana) plant that have been shown capable of suppressing inflammation and various aspects of cell-mediated immunity. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabidinoid has been previously shown by us to suppress cell-mediated autoimmune joint destruction in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis. We now report that CBD treatment significantly reduces the incidence of diabetes in NOD mice from an incidence of 86% in non-treated control mice to an incidence of 30% in CBD-treated mice. CBD treatment also resulted in the significant reduction of plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Th1-associated cytokine production of in vitro activated T-cells and peritoneal macrophages was also significantly reduced in CBD-treated mice, whereas production of the Th2-associated cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10, was increased when compared to untreated control mice. Histological examination of the pancreatic islets of CBD-treated mice revealed significantly reduced insulitis. Our results indicate that CBD can inhibit and delay destructive insulitis and inflammatory Th1-associated cytokine production in NOD mice resulting in a decreased incidence of diabetes possibly through an immunomodulatory mechanism shifting the immune response from Th1 to Th2 dominance.

Eradication of murine leukemia with histoincompatible marrow grafts in mice conditioned with total lymphoid irradiation (TLI)

In the absence of specific anticancer agents, bone marrow (BM) transplantation in combination with conventional radiochemotherapy may turn out to be one of the most promising future approaches to the treatment of malignant hematological disorders, and possibly of disseminated solid tumors as well. The rationale for the treatment of leukemia by BM transplantation, in which donor cells serve to reconstitute host hematopoiesis and immunocompetency, is based on a few accepted facts as well as some attractive but as yet unproven hypotheses. Although most leukemias show a dose-related response to antitumor therapy, effective treatment with antileukemic agents at dose ranges indicated for tumor eradication is restricted, due to irreversible marrow toxicity. Hematopoietic rescue by application of marrow transplantation permits the administration of chemoradiotherapy at potentially curative doses above the level of irreversible marrow damage. In the present report we would like to provide experimental evidence in support of an alternative indication for marrow transplantation adoptive immunotherapy. Adoptive transfer of marrow cells obtained from normal tumor-free (or tumor-resistant) donors to tumor-bearing recipients is based on the assumption that immunologically competent cells may interact and possibly eliminate resident tumor cells. Similarly, allogeneic immunohematopoietic reconstitution in tumor-bearing recipients may help create allogeneic resistance to malignant relapses. The resulting effect, so-called graft versus tumor (GVT) or graft versus leukemia (GVL), may thus represent cell-mediated interactions between the donor immune system and the host tumor-associated or alloantigenic cell surface determinants [2, 11]. We describe here a new approach for adoptive immunotherapy of murine leukemia with a combi-

IFN-γ Acts on T Cells to Induce NK Cell Mobilization and Accumulation in Target Organs

The mechanism(s) that regulates NK cell mobilization and the significance of this process to NK cell activity are unknown. After Con A-induced hepatitis, NK cells are mobilized from the spleen and bone marrow into the periphery in an IFN-γ-dependent fashion. Intraperitoneal administration of IFN-γ stimulates the mobilization of NK cells into the circulation, but not their cell death or proliferation. Increased number of circulating NK cells was coupled with their accumulation in the peritoneum, liver, and tumor-bearing lung tissue. Furthermore, increased number of NK cells in the lung reduced metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma cells (3LL cell line) resulting in significantly extended NK-dependent survival. Mobilization of NK cells was specific and required the presence of T cells. Moreover, mobilization and migration of spleen NK cells in response to IFN-γ treatment is dependent on the chemokine receptor CXCR3. Mechanistic insights regarding the role of IFN-γ in the regulation of NK cell mobilization and their accumulation at sites of tumor metastasis may lead to the development of novel immunotherapy for cancer.

Use of Recombinant Human Interleukin-2 in Conjunction with Bone Marrow Transplantation as a Model for Control of Minimal Residual Disease in Malignant Hematological Disorders: I. Treatment of Murine Leukemia in Conjunction with Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation and IL-2-Activated Cell-Mediated Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy with recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) and allogeneic spleen cells has led to significant antitumor effects in B-cell leukemia- (BCL1) bearing mice following transplantation with T-lymphocyte-depleted allogeneic bone marrow cells. Graft versus leukemia (GVL) effects were studied in a model mimicking minimal residual disease following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Lethally irradiated (BALB/c x C57BL/6)F1 recipients were reconstituted with 20 x 10(6) T-lymphocyte-depleted C57BL/6 bone marrow cells mixed with 10(4) to 10(6) BCL1 cells followed by administration of sequential increments of allogeneic C57BL/6 spleen cells; 10(6) cells on Day +1, 10(7) cells on Day +5, and 5 x 10(7) cells on Day +9, with or without concomitant IL-2 treatment (intraperitoneal injections of 20,000 U twice daily for 3 days) together with each spleen cell administration. All mice receiving 10(4)-10(6) BCL1 cells developed marked splenomegaly by Day +21 and all adoptive recipients of 10(5) spleen cells obtained from these mice developed leukemia within 21-36 days. Treatment of mice which received 10(4) BCL1 cells by either three courses of low dose IL-2 or three increments of allogeneic spleen cells alone and certainly by a combination of both resulted in normalization of splenomegaly on Day +21, but only adoptive recipients of 10(5) spleen cells obtained from mice treated by both allogeneic spleen cells and IL-2 (10/10) or allogeneic spleen cells alone (8/10) were disease free (greater than 100 days). Mice inoculated with 10(5) BCL1 cells developed mild splenomegaly on Day +21 after IL2 treatment alone, but showed no clinical evidence of disease following administration of allogeneic spleen cells or both allogeneic spleen cells and IL-2. Following adoptive transfer of 10(5) spleen cells obtained from each treated group no leukemia (greater than 100 days) was evident in recipients of spleen cells obtained from mice treated with both allogeneic spleen cells and IL-2 (10/10) whereas a partial effect was observed in mice treated by allogeneic spleen cells only (4/10). Mice inoculated with a high dose of BCL1 cells (10(6] showed some delay in onset of splenomegaly, but no curative antileukemic effects could be observed even following a synergistic combination of IL-2 and allogeneic spleen cells. Our data suggest that immunocompetent allogeneic lymphocytes may play an important role against leukemic relapse and thus cell therapy may be used therapeutically to treat minimal residual disease after BMT even following initial reconstitution with T-cell-depleted bone marrow cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cannabidiol arrests onset of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice

We have previously reported that cannabidiol (CBD) lowers the incidence of diabetes in young non-obese diabetes-prone (NOD) female mice. In the present study we show that administration of CBD to 11-14 week old female NOD mice, which are either in a latent diabetes stage or with initial symptoms of diabetes, ameliorates the manifestations of the disease. Diabetes was diagnosed in only 32% of the mice in the CBD-treated group, compared to 86% and 100% in the emulsifier-treated and untreated groups, respectively. In addition, the level of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-12 produced by splenocytes was significantly reduced, whereas the level of the anti-inflammatory IL-10 was significantly elevated following CBD-treatment. Histological examination of the pancreata of CBD-treated mice revealed more intact islets than in the controls. Our data strengthen our previous assumption that CBD, known to be safe in man, can possibly be used as a therapeutic agent for treatment of type 1 diabetes.

RECOMBINANT HUMAN SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASES: PRODUCTION AND POTENTIAL THERAPEUTICAL USES

In many pathological situations, tissue damage is caused by cellular generation of superoxide free radicals (O2-). These active species are generated during post-ischemic reperfusion of organs, in hyperoxic tissue, during acute and chronic inflammation and during exposure to ionizing radiation. Exogenous superoxide dismutase (SOD) was shown to significantly prevent such damage. The genes for human cytosolic Cu/ZnSOD and mitochondrial MnSOD were cloned and introduced into an E. coli expression system. The proteins were expressed in high yields and purified to homogeneity, yielding pharmaceutical-grade materials. These enzymes were used in a variety of in vivo animal models for the demonstration of their protective effects against oxidative damage. Comparative pharmacokinetic studies in rats have revealed that the half-life of Cu/ZnSOD was 6-10 min., while that of MnSOD was 5-6 hours, thus indicating that MnSOD may be superior to Cu/ZnSOD for the treatment of chronic diseases. Indeed, MnSOD was found to be effective as an anti-inflammatory agent in the rat carrageenan induced paw edema acute inflammation model. Both enzymes were also effective in ameliorating post-irradiation damage in mice exposed to whole-body or localized chest X-ray radiation.

Immunotherapy of Minimal Residual Disease by Immunocompetent Lymphocytes and Their Activation by Cytokines

A murine model of minimal residual disease (MRD) was established utilizing the murine B-cell leukemia (BCL1). BALB/c mice inoculated with up to 10(4) BCL1 were cured (greater than 1 year disease-free survival) following administration of intraperitoneal injections of recombinant human IL-2 (10(5) Cetus units x 3/day intraperitoneally x 5 days). Lethally irradiated BALB/c or (BALB/c x C57BL/6)F1 recipients were reconstituted with syngeneic bone marrow cells or T-cell-depleted C57BL/6 bone marrow cells contaminated with 10(4), 10(5), or 10(6) BCL1 to simulate quantitative MRD. Untreated mice died of typical leukemia without exception, whereas a substantial anti-leukemia effect was noted in mice treated by allogeneic spleen cells, IL-2, or particularly a combination of allogeneic spleen cells and IL-2 given concomitantly. Increments of donor-type spleen cells (10(6), 10(7), and 5 x 10(7)) or IL-2 (10(4) U x 2/day x 3 days) were given alone or in combination on days +1, +5, and +9 following Thy 1.2-depleted allogeneic BMT. All adoptive recipients of 10(5) spleen cells obtained from mice inoculated with 10(4) and 10(5) BCL1 treated by a combination of allogeneic spleen cells and IL-2 showed no evidence of disease greater than 100 days. The antitumor effects of allogeneic spleen cells alone and IL-2 alone were also highly significant, although not totally curative in all mice. Allogeneic spleen cells seemed more effective as compared with low dose IL-2 (3 courses of 2 x 10(4) U x 2/day x 3 days). None of the recipients of 10(6) BCL1 could be completely cured under the experimental conditions described without additional chemotherapy, although significant antitumor effects could again be documented following concomitant administration of allogeneic spleen cells and IL-2. Using an experimental model of autologous BMT, recipients of 10(3) tumor cells could also be cured following transplantation of syngeneic spleen cells by high-dose IL-2 (10(5) U x 3/day x 5 days) given at the time lymphocytes were present, optimally at 3 weeks following BMT. Based on encouraging results from experiments using our animal model of MRD, in conjunction with autologous and allogeneic BMT, pilot clinical trials are currently underway, investigating the effect of cytokine-mediated immunotherapy (CMI) in MRD following conventional and high-dose cytoreductive anticancer therapy in conjunction with ABMT. In addition, we are attempting induction of cell-mediated cytokine-activated immunotherapy (CCI) in conjunction with autologous and allogeneic BMT. Prospective randomized clinical trials and longer observation periods are required to assess the full efficacy of these new therapeutic modalities.

CD44 Involvement in Autoimmune Inflammations The Lesson to be Learned from CD44-Targeting by Antibody or from Knockout Mice

Abstract:  CD44 is a multistructural and multifunctional glycoprotein, the diversity of which is generated by alternative splicing. In this communication we review some aspects related to CD44 structure and function in experimental autoimmune inflammation, focusing on research performed in our own laboratory. We have found that CD44 targeting by antibody, passively injected into DBA/1 mice with collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) and NOD mice with type I diabetes or actively generated by CD44 cDNA vaccination of SJL/j mice with autoimmune encephalomyelitis, markedly reduced the pathological manifestations of these diseases by attenuating cell migration of the inflammatory cells and/or by their apoptotic killing. However, genetic deletion of CD44 by knockout technology enhanced the development of CIA because of molecular redundancy mediated by RHAMM (a receptor of hyaluronan‐mediated motility). The mechanisms that stand behind these findings are discussed.

Characterization of effector cells of graft vs leukemia following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice inoculated with murine B-cell leukemia

SummaryIt is now widely accepted that immunocompetent lymphocytes in allogeneic bone marrow grafts exert an antileukemic effect that contributes to the cure of leukemia. Graft vs leukemia (GVL) effects independent of graft vs host disease were investigated in allogeneic bone marrow chimeras tolerant of host and donor alloantigens. The role of Thy1.2, L3T4 and Lyt2 T lymphocytes as effector cells of GVL were investigated in (BALB/c × C57BL/6)F1 mice inoculated with murine B-cell leukemia and subsequently conditioned with total lymphoid irradiation and cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). Mice were reconstituted with C57BL/6 bone marrow cells depleted of well-defined T-cell subsets or enriched for stem cells by the soybean agglutination method. Detection of residual tumor cells, an indicator for efficacy of GVL, was carried out by adoptive transfer of peripheral blood or spleen cells obtained from treated chimeras into secondary naive BALB/c recipients at different time intervals following bone marrow transplantation. Treatment of the primary marrow inoculum with monoclonal anti-Thy 1.2 or anti-Lyt2 abolished the GVL effects and all secondary BALB/c recipients developed leukemia within 60 days. On the other hand, the treatment with monoclonal anti-L3T4 did not influence the effect of GVL and all treated recipients remained without leukemia. The data suggest that T cells may mediate GVL effects in the absence of graft vs host disease and in circumstances where tolerance to conventional alloantigens is elicited. Effector cells of GVL across the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in the murine B-cell leukemia tumor model system appear to be Thy 1.2+ Lyt2+ L3T4—. Induction of GVL effects by allogeneic cells tolerant of host MHC suggests that these effects may be independent of graft vs host disease.

Preimplantation Factor (PIF*) reverses neuroinflammation while promoting neural repair in EAE model

INTRODUCTION Embryo-derived PIF modulates systemic maternal immunity without suppression. Synthetic analog (sPIF) prevents juvenile diabetes, preserves islet function, reducing oxidative stress/protein misfolding. We investigate sPIF effectiveness in controlling neuroinflammation/MS. METHODS Examine sPIF-induced protection against harsh, clinical-relevant murine EAE-PLP acute and chronic models. Evaluate clinical indices: circulating cytokines, spinal cord histology, genome, canonical global proteome, cultured PLP-activated splenocytes cytokines, and immunophenotype. RESULTS Short-term, low-dose sPIF prevented paralysis development and lowered mortality (P<0.05). Episodic sPIF reversed chronic paralysis (P<0.0001) completely in >50%, by day 82. Prevention model: 12days post-therapy, sPIF reduced circulating IL12 ten-fold and inflammatory cells access to spinal cord. Regression model: sPIF blocked PLP-induced IL17 and IL6 secretions. Long-term chronic model: sPIF reduced spinal cord pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, (ALCAM, CF1, CCL8), apoptosis-promoters, inflammatory cells access (JAM3, OPA1), solute channels (ATPases), aberrant coagulation factors (Serpins), and pro-antigenic MOG. Canonical proteomic analysis demonstrated reduced oxidative phosphorylation, vesicle traffic, cytoskeleton remodeling involved in neuro-cytoskeleton breakdown (tubulins), associated with axon re-assembly by (MTAPs)/improved synaptic transmission. CONCLUSION sPIF--through coordinated central and systemic multi-targeted action--reverses neuroinflammation/MS and imparts significant neuroprotective effects up to total paralysis resolution. Clinical testing is warranted and planned.