技术资料

To determine whether antigen presentation by HLA-DR on hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) is involved in the development of acquired aplastic anemia (AA),we studied the HLA-DR expression on CD45dimCD34+CD38+ cells in the peripheral blood of 61 AA patients including 23 patients possessing HLA-class I allele-lacking (HLA-class I[-]) leukocytes. HLA-DR-lacking (DR[-]) cells accounted for 13.0-57.1% of the total HSPCs in seven (11.5%) patients with HLA-DR15 who did not possess HLA-class I(-) leukocytes. The incubation of sorted DR(-) HSPCs in the presence of IFN-$\gamma$ for 72??h resulted in the full restoration of the DR expression. A comparison of the transcriptome profile between DR(-) and DR(+) HSPCs revealed the lower expression of immune response-related genes including co-stimulatory molecules (e.g.,CD48,CD74,and CD86) in DR(-) cells,which was not evident in HLA-class I(-) HSPCs. DR(-) cells were exclusively detected in GPI(+) HSPCs in four patients whose HSPCs could be analyzed separately for GPI(+) and GPI(-) HSPCs. These findings suggest that CD4+ T cells specific to antigens presented by HLA-DR15 on HSPCs may contribute to the development of AA as well as the immune escape of GPI(-) HSPCs in a distinct way from CD8+ T cells recognizing HLA-class I-restricted antigens. View Publication

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a signature cytokine pivotal in Type 2 helper T cell (Th2) immune response,particularly in allergy and hypersensitivity. Interestingly,IL-4 increases endogenous levels of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2 ) and its metabolites,$\Delta$12 -prostaglandin J2 ($\Delta$12 -PGJ2 ) and 15-deoxy-$\Delta$12,14 -prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2 ),collectively called cyclopentenone PGs (CyPGs). However,the therapeutic role of IL-4 in hematologic malignancies remains unclear. Here,we employed a murine model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML),where human MLL-AF9 fusion oncoprotein was expressed in hematopoietic progenitor cells,to test the effect of IL-4 treatment in vivo. Daily intraperitoneal treatment with IL-4 at 60 µg/kg/d significantly alleviated the severity of AML,as seen by decreased leukemia-initiating cells (LICs). The effect of IL-4 was mediated,in part,by the enhanced expression of hematopoietic- PGD2  synthase (H-PGDS) to effect endogenous production of CyPGs,through autocrine and paracrine signaling mechanisms. Similar results were seen with patient-derived AML cells cultured ex vivo with IL-4. Use of GW9662,a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR$\gamma$) antagonist,suggested endogenous CyPGs-PPAR$\gamma$ axis mediated p53-dependent apoptosis of LICs by IL-4. Taken together,our results reveal a beneficial role of IL-4 treatment in AML suggesting a potential therapeutic regimen worthy of clinical trials in patients with AML. View Publication

Alloantigen-specific regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy is a promising approach for suppressing alloimmune responses and minimizing immunosuppression after solid organ transplantation. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting donor alloantigens can confer donor reactivity to Tregs. However,CAR Treg therapy has not been evaluated in vascularized transplant or multi-MHC mismatched models. Here,we evaluated the ability of CAR Tregs targeting HLA-A2 (A2-CAR) to prolong the survival of heterotopic heart transplants in mice. After verifying the in vitro activation,proliferation,and enhanced suppressive function of A2-CAR Tregs in the presence of A2-antigen,we analyzed the in vivo function of Tregs in C57BL/6 (B6) mice receiving A2-expressing heart allografts. A2-CAR Treg infusion increased the median survival of grafts from B6.HLA-A2 transgenic donors from 23 to 99 days,whereas median survival with polyclonal Treg infusion was 35 days. In a more stringent model of haplo-mismatched hearts from BALB/cxB6.HLA-A2 F1 donors,A2-CAR Tregs slightly increased median graft survival from 11 to 14 days,which was further extended to >100 days when combined with a 9-day course of rapamycin treatment. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of CAR Tregs,alone or in combination with immunosuppressive agents,toward protecting vascularized grafts in fully immunocompetent recipients. View Publication

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disorder derived from neoplastic myeloid progenitor cells characterized by abnormal proliferation and differentiation. Although novel therapeutics have recently been introduced,AML remains a therapeutic challenge with insufficient cure rates. In the last years,immune-directed therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells were introduced,which showed outstanding clinical activity against B-cell malignancies including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However,the application of CAR-T cells appears to be challenging due to the enormous molecular heterogeneity of the disease and potential long-term suppression of hematopoiesis. Here we report on the generation of CD33-targeted CAR-modified natural killer (NK) cells by transduction of blood-derived primary NK cells using baboon envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vectors (BaEV-LVs). Transduced cells displayed stable CAR-expression,unimpeded proliferation,and increased cytotoxic activity against CD33-positive OCI-AML2 and primary AML cells in vitro. Furthermore,CD33-CAR-NK cells strongly reduced leukemic burden and prevented bone marrow engraftment of leukemic cells in OCI-AML2 xenograft mouse models without observable side effects. View Publication

Human norovirus (HNoV) is a global health and socioeconomic burden,estimated to infect every individual at least five times during their lifetime. The underlying mechanism for the potential lack of long-term immune protection from HNoV infections is not understood and prompted us to investigate HNoV susceptibility of primary human B cells and its functional impact. Primary B cells isolated from whole blood were infected with HNoV-positive stool samples and harvested at 3??days postinfection (dpi) to assess the viral RNA yield by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). A 3- to 18-fold increase in the HNoV RNA yield was observed in 50 to 60% of donors. Infection was further confirmed in B cells derived from splenic and lymph node biopsy specimens. Next,we characterized infection of whole-blood-derived B cells by flow cytometry in specific functional B cell subsets (naive CD27- IgD+,memory-switched CD27+ IgD-,memory-unswitched CD27+ IgD+,and double-negative CD27- IgD- cells). While the susceptibilities of the subsets were similar,changes in the B cell subset distribution upon infection were observed,which were also noted after treatment with HNoV virus-like particles and the predicted recombinant NS1 protein. Importantly,primary B cell stimulation with the predicted recombinant NS1 protein triggered B cell activation and induced metabolic changes. These data demonstrate that primary B cells are susceptible to HNoV infection and suggest that the NS1 protein can alter B cell activation and metabolism in vitro,which could have implications for viral pathogenesis and immune responses in vivo. IMPORTANCE Human norovirus (HNoV) is the most prevalent causative agent of gastroenteritis worldwide. Infection results in a self-limiting disease that can become chronic and severe in the immunocompromised,the elderly,and infants. There are currently no approved therapeutic and preventative strategies to limit the health and socioeconomic burdens associated with HNoV infections. Moreover,HNoV does not elicit lifelong immunity as repeat infections are common,presenting a challenge for vaccine development. Given the importance of B cells for humoral immunity,we investigated the susceptibility and impact of HNoV infection on human B cells. We found that HNoV replicates in human primary B cells derived from blood,spleen,and lymph node specimens,while the nonstructural protein NS1 can activate B cells. Because of the secreted nature of NS1,we put forward the hypothesis that HNoV infection can modulate bystander B cell function with potential impacts on systemic immune responses. View Publication

Several unique waves of ?? T cells are generated solely in the fetal/neonatal thymus,whereas additional ?? T cell subsets are generated in adults. One intriguing feature of ?? T cell development is the coordination of differentiation and acquisition of effector function within the fetal thymus; however,it is less clear whether this paradigm holds true in adult animals. In this study,we investigated the relationship between maturation and thymic export of adult-derived ?? thymocytes in mice. In the Rag2pGFP model,immature (CD24+) ?? thymocytes expressed high levels of GFP whereas only a minority of mature (CD24-) ?? thymocytes were GFP+ Similarly,most peripheral GFP+ ?? T cells were immature. Analysis of ?? recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) indicated that most ?? T cell RTEs were CD24+ and GFP+,and adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that immature ?? thymocytes can mature outside the thymus. Mature ?? T cells largely did not recirculate to the thymus from the periphery; rather,a population of mature ?? thymocytes that produced IFN-? or IL-17 remained resident in the thymus for at least 60 d. These data support the existence of two populations of ?? T cell RTEs in adult mice: a majority subset that is immature and matures in the periphery after thymic emigration,and a minority subset that completes maturation within the thymus prior to emigration. Additionally,we identified a heterogeneous population of resident ?? thymocytes of unknown functional importance. Collectively,these data shed light on the generation of the ?? T cell compartment in adult mice. View Publication

BACKGROUND The Regulatory T cell (Treg) lineage is defined by the transcription factor FOXP3,which controls immune-suppressive gene expression profiles. Tregs are often recruited in high frequencies to the tumor microenvironment where they can suppress antitumor immunity. We hypothesized that pharmacological inhibition of FOXP3 by systemically delivered,unformulated constrained ethyl-modified antisense oligonucleotides could modulate the activity of Tregs and augment antitumor immunity providing therapeutic benefit in cancer models and potentially in man. METHODS We have identified murine Foxp3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and clinical candidate human FOXP3 ASO AZD8701. Pharmacology and biological effects of FOXP3 inhibitors on Treg function and antitumor immunity were tested in cultured Tregs and mouse syngeneic tumor models. Experiments were controlled by vehicle and non-targeting control ASO groups as well as by use of multiple independent FOXP3 ASOs. Statistical significance of biological effects was evaluated by one or two-way analysis of variance with multiple comparisons. RESULTS AZD8701 demonstrated a dose-dependent knockdown of FOXP3 in primary Tregs,reduction of suppressive function and efficient target downregulation in humanized mice at clinically relevant doses. Surrogate murine FOXP3 ASO,which efficiently downregulated Foxp3 messenger RNA and protein levels in primary Tregs,reduced Treg suppressive function in immune suppression assays in vitro. FOXP3 ASO promoted more than 70% reduction in FOXP3 levels in Tregs in vitro and in vivo,strongly modulated Treg effector molecules (eg,ICOS,CTLA-4,CD25 and 4-1BB),and augmented CD8+ T cell activation and produced antitumor activity in syngeneic tumor models. The combination of FOXP3 ASOs with immune checkpoint blockade further enhanced antitumor efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Antisense inhibitors of FOXP3 offer a promising novel cancer immunotherapy approach. AZD8701 is being developed clinically as a first-in-class FOXP3 inhibitor for the treatment of cancer currently in Ph1a/b clinical trial (NCT04504669). View Publication

Chronic decreases in the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) occur in numerous settings,but how cells compensate for such decreases is unknown. We have used a unique system-murine dendritic cells (DCs) with a DC-selective depletion of the heterotrimeric GTP binding protein G$\alpha$s-to address this issue. These mice spontaneously develop Th2-allergic asthma and their DCs have persistently lower cAMP levels. We found that phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) is the primary phosphodiesterase expressed in DCs and that its expression is preferentially decreased in G$\alpha$s-depleted DCs. PDE4B expression is dynamic,falling and rising in a protein kinase A-dependent manner with decreased and increased cAMP concentrations,respectively. Treatment of DCs that drive enhanced Th2 immunity with a PDE4B inhibitor ameliorated DC-induced helper T cell response. We conclude that PDE4B is a homeostatic regulator of cellular cAMP concentrations in DCs and may be a target for treating Th2-allergic asthma and other settings with low cellular cAMP concentrations. View Publication

Inhibitory receptors have a critical role in the regulation of immunity. Siglecs are a family of primarily inhibitory receptors expressed by immune cells that recognize specific sialic acid modifications on cell surface glycans. Many tumors have increased sialic acid incorporation. Overexpression of the sialyltransferase ST8Sia6 on tumors led to altered immune responses and increased tumor growth. In this study,we examined the role of ST8Sia6 on immune cells in regulating antitumor immunity. ST8Sia6 knockout mice had an enhanced immune response to tumors. The loss of ST8Sia6 promoted an enhanced intratumoral activation of macrophages and dendritic cells,including upregulation of CD40. Intratumoral regulatory T cells exhibited a more inflammatory phenotype in ST8Sia6 knockout mice. Using adoptive transfer studies,the change in regulatory T cell phenotype was not cell intrinsic and depended on the loss of ST8Sia6 expression in APCs. Thus,ST8Sia6 generates ligands for Siglecs that dampen antitumor immunity. View Publication

Immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized the field of oncology,inducing durable anti-tumour immunity in solid tumours. In patients with advanced prostate cancer,immunotherapy treatments have largely failed1-5. Androgen deprivation therapy is classically administered in these patients to inhibit tumour cell growth,and we postulated that this therapy also affects tumour-associated T cells. Here we demonstrate that androgen receptor (AR) blockade sensitizes tumour-bearing hosts to effective checkpoint blockade by directly enhancing CD8 T cell function. Inhibition of AR activity in CD8 T cells prevented T cell exhaustion and improved responsiveness to PD-1 targeted therapy via increased IFN$\gamma$ expression. AR bound directly to Ifng and eviction of AR with a small molecule significantly increased cytokine production in CD8 T cells. Together,our findings establish that T cell intrinsic AR activity represses IFN$\gamma$ expression and represents a novel mechanism of immunotherapy resistance. View Publication

BACKGROUND Epidemiological surveys have revealed that low serum vitamin D level was correlated with increased risk of tumors. Dysfunctional T cells in patients with tumor are characterized as exhausted with high levels of immune checkpoint receptors (ICRs). However,whether the reduced level of vitamin D in patients with cancer correlates with cytotoxic T-cell exhaustion is unknown. METHODS Periphery blood samples from 172 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were prospectively collected. Patients with NSCLC received one course of intravenous docetaxel (75 mg/m2) followed by treatment with or without rocaltrol at a dose of 0.5-2.0 µg/day for total of 3 weeks. We performed phenotypical and functional analysis of T-cell through flow cytometry. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) knockout and overexpression CD8+ and V$\delta$2+ T cells were constructed using Cas9-gRNA targeted and overexpressing approaches to identify 1$\alpha$,25(OH)2D3/VDR-mediated transcription regulation for ICRs or antitumor activity in T cells. RESULTS We show that serum level of vitamin D is negatively correlated with expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1),T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT),and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (Tim-3),but positively correlated with CD28 expression on CD8+ and V$\gamma$9V$\delta$2+ T cells in patients with NSCLC. 1$\alpha$,25(OH)2D3,the active form of vitamin D,promotes the nuclear translocation of VDR,which binds to the promoter region of Pdcd1,Tim3,and Tigit genes and inhibits their expression. Besides,1$\alpha$,25(OH)2D3 pretreatment also promotes the methylation of CpG island in the promoter region of the Pdcd1 gene and increases H3K27 acetylation at the promoter region of the Cd28 gene,which leads to surface PD-1 downregulation and CD28 upregulation,respectively. We further reveal that VDR-mediated Ca2+ influx enhanced expression of Th1 cytokines via T-cell receptor activation. Functionally,1$\alpha$,25(OH)2D3 pretreated CD8+ T cells or V$\gamma$9V$\delta$2+ T cells showed increased Th1 cytokine production and enhanced antitumor immunity. Finally,oral 1$\alpha$,25(OH)2D3 could also decrease expression of PD-1,Tim-3,TIGIT and increase expression of CD28,resulting in cytokine production (associated with antitumor immunity) by cytotoxic T cells of patients with NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS Our findings uncover the pleiotropic effects of 1$\alpha$,25(OH)2D3 in rescuing the exhausted phenotype of human cytotoxic T cells in patients with tumor and in promoting their antitumor immunity. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ChiCTR2100051135. View Publication

BACKGROUND Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent a negative prognostic factor in malignant melanoma. These cells are generated under chronic inflammatory conditions typical of cancer. The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) orchestrates MDSC accumulation and acquisition of immunosuppressive properties. Here we studied STAT3 inhibition by Napabucasin as a way to block MDSC accumulation and activity and its potential to treat malignant melanoma. METHODS In vitro generated murine MDSC and primary MDSC from melanoma-bearing mice were used to investigate the effects of Napabucasin on MDSC in vitro. The RET transgenic mouse model of malignant melanoma was used to examine Napabucasin therapy efficiency and its underlying mechanisms in vivo. Furthermore,STAT3 activation and its correlation with survival were explored in MDSC from 19 patients with malignant melanoma and human in vitro generated monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cell (M-MDSC) were used to evaluate the effects of Napabucasin. RESULTS Napabucasin was able to abrogate the capacity of murine MDSC to suppress CD8+ T-cell proliferation. The STAT3 inhibitor induced apoptosis in murine MDSC,significantly increased expression of molecules associated with antigen processing and presentation,as well as slightly decreased expression of immunosuppressive factors on these cells. RET transgenic mice treated with Napabucasin showed prolonged survival accompanied by a strong accumulation of tumor-infiltrating antigen-presenting cells and activation of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Interestingly,patients with malignant melanoma with high expression of activated STAT3 in circulating M-MDSC showed significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) than patients with low levels of activated STAT3. In addition,Napabucasin was able to abrogate suppressive capacity of human in vitro generated M-MDSC. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that STAT3 inhibitor Napabucasin completely abrogated the immunosuppressive capacity of murine MDSC and human M-MDSC and improved melanoma-bearing mouse survival. Moreover,patients with malignant melanoma with high expression levels of activated STAT3 in M-MDSC displayed shorter PFS,indicating its role as a promising therapeutic target in patients with malignant melanoma and a predictive marker for their clinical outcome. View Publication