Editorial

3 pages, 169 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

by Domenico Galati and Serena Zanotta

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 4253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24044253 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2719

Dendritic cells (DCs) are acknowledged as the most potent professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), able to induce adaptive immunity and support the innate immune response [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

Research

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23 pages, 2460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dendritic Cell-Triggered Immune Activation Goes along with Provision of (Leukemia-Specific) Integrin Beta 7-Expressing Immune Cells and Improved Antileukemic Processes

by Elias Rackl, Lin Li, Lara Kristina Klauer, Selda Ugur, Elena Pepeldjiyska, Corinna L. Seidel, Carina Gunsilius, Melanie Weinmann, Fatemeh Doraneh-Gard, Nina Reiter, Caroline Plett, Daniel Christoph Amberger, Peter Bojko, Doris Kraemer, Jörg Schmohl, Andreas Rank, Christoph Schmid and Helga Maria Schmetzer

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010463 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1901

Abstract

Integrin beta 7 (β7), a subunit of the integrin receptor, is expressed on the surface of immune cells and mediates cell–cell adhesions and interactions, e.g., antitumor or autoimmune reactions. Here, we analyzed, whether the stimulation of immune cells by dendritic cells (of leukemic [...] Read more.

Integrin beta 7 (β7), a subunit of the integrin receptor, is expressed on the surface of immune cells and mediates cell–cell adhesions and interactions, e.g., antitumor or autoimmune reactions. Here, we analyzed, whether the stimulation of immune cells by dendritic cells (of leukemic derivation in AML patients or of monocyte derivation in healthy donors) leads to increased/leukemia-specific β7 expression in immune cells after T-cell-enriched mixed lymphocyte culture—finally leading to improved antileukemic cytotoxicity. Healthy, as well as AML and MDS patients’ whole blood (WB) was treated with Kit-M (granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) + prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)) or Kit-I (GM-CSF + Picibanil) in order to generate DCs (DC_leu or monocyte-derived DC), which were then used as stimulator cells in MLC. To quantify antigen/leukemia-specific/antileukemic functionality, a degranulation assay (DEG), an intracellular cytokine assay (INTCYT) and a cytotoxicity fluorolysis assay (CTX) were used. (Leukemia-specific) cell subtypes were quantified via flow cytometry. The Kit treatment of WB (compared to the control) resulted in the generation of DC/DC_leu, which induced increased activation of innate and adaptive cells after MLC. Kit-pretreated WB (vs. the control) led to significantly increased frequencies of β7-expressing T-cells, degranulating and intracellular cytokine-producing β7-expressing immune cells and, in patients’ samples, increased blast lysis. Positive correlations were found between the Kit-M-mediated improvement of blast lysis (vs. the control) and frequencies of β7-expressing T-cells. Our findings indicate that DC-based immune therapies might be able to specifically activate the immune system against blasts going along with increased frequencies of (leukemia-specific) β7-expressing immune cells. Furthermore, β7 might qualify as a predictor for the efficiency and the success of AML and/or MDS therapies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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13 pages, 27547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Immunostimulatory Potential of Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from an Edible Plant, Petasites japonicus, via the Induction of Murine Dendritic Cell Maturation

by Jeong Moo Han, Ha-Yeon Song, Seung-Taik Lim, Kwang-Il Kim, Ho Seong Seo and Eui-Baek Byun

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(19), 10634; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910634 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2267

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently been isolated from different plants. Plant-derived EVs have been proposed as potent therapeutics and drug-delivery nanoplatforms for delivering biomolecules, including proteins, RNAs, DNAs, and lipids. Herein, Petasites japonicus-derived EVs (PJ-EVs) were isolated through a series of centrifugation [...] Read more.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently been isolated from different plants. Plant-derived EVs have been proposed as potent therapeutics and drug-delivery nanoplatforms for delivering biomolecules, including proteins, RNAs, DNAs, and lipids. Herein, Petasites japonicus-derived EVs (PJ-EVs) were isolated through a series of centrifugation steps and characterized using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Immunomodulatory effects of PJ-EVs were assessed using dendritic cells (DCs). PJ-EVs exhibited a spherical morphology with an average size of 122.6 nm. They induced the maturation of DCs via an increase in the expression of surface molecules (CD80, CD86, MHC-I, and MHC-II), production of Th1-polarizing cytokines (TNF-α and IL-12p70), and antigen-presenting ability; however, they reduced the antigen-uptake ability. Furthermore, maturation of DCs induced by PJ-EVs was dependent on the activation and phosphorylation of MAPK and NF-κB signal pathways. Notably, PJ-EV-treated DCs strongly induced the proliferation and differentiation of naïve T cells toward Th1-type T cells and cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells along with robust secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2. In conclusion, our study indicates that PJ-EVs can be potent immunostimulatory candidates with an ability of strongly inducing the maturation of DCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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15 pages, 22167 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intranasal Administration of Codium fragile Polysaccharide Elicits Anti-Cancer Immunity against Lewis Lung Carcinoma

by Yuhua Wang, Eun-Koung An, So-Jung Kim, SangGuan You and Jun-O Jin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(19), 10608; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910608 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2310

Abstract

Natural polysaccharides have shown promising effects on the regulation of immunity in animals. In this study, we examined the immune stimulatory effect of intranasally administered Codium fragile polysaccharides (CFPs) in mice. Intranasal administration of CFPs in C57BL/6 mice induced the upregulation of surface [...] Read more.

Natural polysaccharides have shown promising effects on the regulation of immunity in animals. In this study, we examined the immune stimulatory effect of intranasally administered Codium fragile polysaccharides (CFPs) in mice. Intranasal administration of CFPs in C57BL/6 mice induced the upregulation of surface activation marker expression in macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) in the mediastinal lymph node (mLN) and the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-12p70, and tumor necrosis factor-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, the number of conventional DCs (cDCs) was increased in the mLNs by the upregulation of C-C motif chemokine receptor 7 expression, and subsets of cDCs were also activated following the intranasal administration of CFP. In addition, the intranasal administration of CFPs promoted the activation of natural killer (NK) and T cells in the mLNs, which produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic mediators. Finally, daily administration of CFPs inhibited the infiltration of Lewis lung carcinoma cells into the lungs, and the preventive effect of CFPs on tumor growth required NK and CD8 T cells. Furthermore, CFPs combined with anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody (Ab) improved the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-L1 Ab against lung cancer. Therefore, these data demonstrated that the intranasal administration of CFP induced mucosal immunity against lung cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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16 pages, 3433 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancement of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Mediated Anti-Cancer Immunity by Intranasal Treatment of Ecklonia cava Fucoidan against Metastatic Lung Cancer

by Wei Zhang, Juyoung Hwang, Dhananjay Yadav, Eun-Koung An, Minseok Kwak, Peter Chang-Whan Lee and Jun-O Jin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(17), 9125; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22179125 - 24 Aug 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2556

Abstract

Although fucoidan, a well-studied seaweed-extracted polysaccharide, has shown immune stimulatory effects that elicit anticancer immunity, mucosal adjuvant effects via intranasal administration have not been studied. In this study, the effect of Ecklonia cava-extracted fucoidan (ECF) on the induction of anti-cancer immunity in [...] Read more.

Although fucoidan, a well-studied seaweed-extracted polysaccharide, has shown immune stimulatory effects that elicit anticancer immunity, mucosal adjuvant effects via intranasal administration have not been studied. In this study, the effect of Ecklonia cava-extracted fucoidan (ECF) on the induction of anti-cancer immunity in the lung was examined by intranasal administration. In C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, intranasal administration of ECF promoted the activation of dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer (NK) cells, and T cells in the mediastinal lymph node (mLN). The ECF-induced NK and T cell activation was mediated by DCs. In addition, intranasal injection with ECF enhanced the anti-PD-L1 antibody-mediated anti-cancer activities against B16 melanoma and CT-26 carcinoma tumor growth in the lungs, which were required cytotoxic T lymphocytes and NK cells. Thus, these data demonstrated that ECF functioned as a mucosal adjuvant that enhanced the immunotherapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors against metastatic lung cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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Review

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24 pages, 1839 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Hot and Cold Tumors

by Byeong Hoon Kang and Heung Kyu Lee

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(13), 7325; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23137325 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4673

Abstract

Dendritic cells mediate innate and adaptive immune responses and are directly involved in the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that kill tumor cells. Dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy has clinical benefits. Dendritic cell subsets are diverse, and tumors can be hot or cold, depending [...] Read more.

Dendritic cells mediate innate and adaptive immune responses and are directly involved in the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that kill tumor cells. Dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy has clinical benefits. Dendritic cell subsets are diverse, and tumors can be hot or cold, depending on their immunogenicity; this heterogeneity affects the success of dendritic cell-based immunotherapy. Here, we review the ontogeny of dendritic cells and dendritic cell subsets. We also review the characteristics of hot and cold tumors and briefly introduce therapeutic trials related to hot and cold tumors. Lastly, we discuss dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy in hot and cold tumors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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26 pages, 1396 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Multiple Myeloma: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions

by Emma Verheye, Jesús Bravo Melgar, Sofie Deschoemaeker, Geert Raes, Anke Maes, Elke De Bruyne, Eline Menu, Karin Vanderkerken, Damya Laoui and Kim De Veirman

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(2), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020904 - 14 Jan 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5322

Abstract

Immunotherapeutic approaches, including adoptive cell therapy, revolutionized treatment in multiple myeloma (MM). As dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells and key initiators of tumor-specific immune responses, DC-based immunotherapy represents an attractive therapeutic approach in cancer. The past years, various DC-based approaches, using [...] Read more.

Immunotherapeutic approaches, including adoptive cell therapy, revolutionized treatment in multiple myeloma (MM). As dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells and key initiators of tumor-specific immune responses, DC-based immunotherapy represents an attractive therapeutic approach in cancer. The past years, various DC-based approaches, using particularly ex-vivo-generated monocyte-derived DCs, have been tested in preclinical and clinical MM studies. However, long-term and durable responses in MM patients were limited, potentially attributed to the source of monocyte-derived DCs and the immunosuppressive bone marrow microenvironment. In this review, we briefly summarize the DC development in the bone marrow niche and the phenotypical and functional characteristics of the major DC subsets. We address the known DC deficiencies in MM and give an overview of the DC-based vaccination protocols that were tested in MM patients. Lastly, we also provide strategies to improve the efficacy of DC vaccines using new, improved DC-based approaches and combination therapies for MM patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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21 pages, 1471 KiB

Open AccessReview

Dendritic Cells and Cancer Immunotherapy: The Adjuvant Effect

by Sara Nava, Daniela Lisini, Simona Frigerio and Anna Bersano

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(22), 12339; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222212339 - 15 Nov 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3611

Abstract

Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune specialized cells playing a critical role in promoting immune response against antigens, and may represent important targets for therapeutic interventions in cancer. DCs can be stimulated ex vivo with pro-inflammatory molecules and loaded with tumor-specific antigen(s). Protocols describing [...] Read more.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune specialized cells playing a critical role in promoting immune response against antigens, and may represent important targets for therapeutic interventions in cancer. DCs can be stimulated ex vivo with pro-inflammatory molecules and loaded with tumor-specific antigen(s). Protocols describing the specific details of DCs vaccination manufacturing vary widely, but regardless of the employed protocol, the DCs vaccination safety and its ability to induce antitumor responses is clearly established. Many years of studies have focused on the ability of DCs to provide overall survival benefits at least for a selection of cancer patients. Lessons learned from early trials lead to the hypothesis that, to improve the efficacy of DCs-based immunotherapy, this should be combined with other treatments. Thus, the vaccine’s ultimate role may lie in the combinatorial approaches of DCs-based immunotherapy with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, more than in monotherapy. In this review, we address some key questions regarding the integration of DCs vaccination with multimodality therapy approaches for cancer treatment paradigms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dendritic Cell and Cancer Therapy)

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