scholarly journals Functional Avidity: A Measure to Predict the Efficacy of Effector T Cells?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selena Viganò ◽  
Daniel T. Utzschneider ◽  
Matthieu Perreau ◽  
Giuseppe Pantaleo ◽  
Dietmar Zehn ◽  
...  

The functional avidity is determined by exposing T-cell populationsin vitroto different amounts of cognate antigen. T-cells with high functional avidity respond to low antigen doses. Thisin vitromeasure is thought to correlate well with thein vivoeffector capacity of T-cells. We here present the multifaceted factors determining and influencing the functional avidity of T-cells. We outline how changes in the functional avidity can occur over the course of an infection. This process, known as avidity maturation, can occur despite the fact that T-cells express a fixed TCR. Furthermore, examples are provided illustrating the importance of generating T-cell populations that exhibit a high functional avidity when responding to an infection or tumors. Furthermore, we discuss whether criteria based on which we evaluate an effective T-cell response to acute infections can also be applied to chronic infections such as HIV. Finally, we also focus on observations that high-avidity T-cells show higher signs of exhaustion and facilitate the emergence of virus escape variants. The review summarizes our current understanding of how this may occur as well as how T-cells of different functional avidity contribute to antiviral and anti-tumor immunity. Enhancing our knowledge in this field is relevant for tumor immunotherapy and vaccines design.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Patidar ◽  
Naveen Yadav ◽  
Sarat K. Dalai

IL-15 is one of the important biologics considered for vaccine adjuvant and treatment of cancer. However, a short half-life and poor bioavailability limit its therapeutic potential. Herein, we have structured IL-15 into a chimeric protein to improve its half-life enabling greater bioavailability for longer periods. We have covalently linked IL-15 with IgG2 base to make the IL-15 a stable chimeric protein, which also increased its serum half-life by 40 fold. The dimeric structure of this kind of IgG based biologics has greater stability, resistance to proteolytic cleavage, and less frequent dosing schedule with minimum dosage for achieving the desired response compared to that of their monomeric forms. The structured chimeric IL-15 naturally forms a dimer, and retains its affinity for binding to its receptor, IL-15Rβ. Moreover, with the focused action of the structured chimeric IL-15, antigen-presenting cells (APC) would transpresent chimeric IL-15 along with antigen to the T cell, that will help the generation of quantitatively and qualitatively better antigen-specific memory T cells. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the biological activity of chimeric IL-15 with respect to its ability to induce IL-15 signaling and modulating CD8+ T cell response in favor of memory generation. Thus, a longer half-life, dimeric nature, and anticipated focused transpresentation by APCs to the T cells will make chimeric IL-15 a super-agonist for memory CD8+ T cell responses.


Author(s):  
Mary Poupot ◽  
Frédéric Boissard ◽  
Delphine Betous ◽  
Laure Bardouillet ◽  
Séverine Fruchon ◽  
...  

AbstractPhosphoantigens (PAgs) activate Vγ9Vδ2 T lymphocytes, inducing their potent and rapid response in vitro and in vivo. However, humans and nonhuman primates that receive repeated injections of PAgs progressively lose their Vγ9Vδ2 T cell response to them. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of this in vivo desensitization, we analyzed the transcriptome of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells from macaques injected with PAg. We showed that three PAg injections induced the activation of the PPARα pathway in Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Thus, we analyzed the in vitro response of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells stimulated with a PPARα agonist. We demonstrated that in vitro PPARα pathway activation led to the inhibition of the BrHPP-induced activation and proliferation of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Since the PPARα pathway is involved in the antigen-selective desensitization of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, the use of PPARα inhibitors could enhance cancer immunotherapy based on Vγ9Vδ2 T cells.


1978 ◽  
Vol 147 (4) ◽  
pp. 1236-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
T J Braciale ◽  
K L Yap

This report examines the requirement for infectious virus in the induction of influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T cells. Infectious influenza virus was found to be highly efficient at generating both primary and secondary cytotoxic T-cell response in vivo. Inactivated influenza virus however, failed to stimulate a detectable cytotoxic T-cell response in vivo even at immunizing doses 10(5)-10(6)-fold higher than the minimum stimulatory dose of infectious virus. Likewise inactivated virus failed to sensitize target cells for T cell-mediated lysis in vitro but could stimulate a specific cytotoxic response from primed cells in vitro. Possible requirements for the induction of virus-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses are discussed in light of these observations and those of other investigators.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
L. M. Moldenhauer ◽  
J. D. Hayball ◽  
S. A. Robertson

In healthy pregnancies the maternal immune system establishes paternal antigen-specific tolerance allowing survival of the semi-allogeneic conceptus. The cytokine environment is a key factor in determining the phenotype of antigen-specific lymphocytes, influencing the development of either cytotoxic or tolerogenic cells. We hypothesized that the cytokine environment at the time of priming to paternal antigens influences the phenotype of the maternal T cell response and pregnancy outcome. Transgenic Act-mOVA male mice expressing chicken ovalbumin (OVA) ubiquitously provided OVA as a model paternal antigen. OVA is present within the semen of Act-mOVA mice and is inherited and expressed by the conceptus tissue. OVA-reactive CD8+ OT-I T cells were activated with OVA in the presence of various immune-deviating cytokines in vitro, before transfer at 3.5 dpc to C57Bl/6 (B6) females gestating OVA-expressing fetuses. Pregnant mice received either naïve OT-I T cells, cytotoxic OT-I T cells stimulated in vitro in the presence of IL-2 or OT-I T cells stimulated in vitro in the presence of TGFβ1 and IL-10, two factors present in the uterus and associated with immune tolerance. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to demonstrate that OT-I T cells infiltrate into the implantation site. Cytotoxic OT-I T cells caused fetal loss, while OT-I T cells activated in vivo or in vitro with TGFβ1 and IL-10 did not cause fetal loss. Additionally, cytotoxic OT-I T cells did not affect B6 x B6 matings, demonstrating the antigen-specific nature of the T cell-mediated fetal loss. Collectively these experiments show that maternal antigen-reactive T cells activated in vivo in the cytokine environment of the mated uterus are tolerogenic, not cytotoxic, and implicate TGFβ1 and IL-10 as key elements of that environment. We conclude that the cytokine environment at the time of priming to paternal antigens influences the T cell phenotype and impacts upon maternal immune tolerance and fetal survival.


2010 ◽  
Vol 207 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadna Budhu ◽  
John D. Loike ◽  
Ashley Pandolfi ◽  
Soo Han ◽  
Geoffrey Catalano ◽  
...  

We describe a quantitative model for assessing the cytolytic activity of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in vitro and in vivo in which the concentration of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells determines the efficiency with which these cells kill cognate antigen–expressing melanoma cells in packed cell pellets, in three-dimensional collagen-fibrin gels in vitro, and in established melanomas in vivo. In combination with a clonogenic assay for melanoma cells, collagen-fibrin gels are 4,500–5,500-fold more sensitive than the packed cell pellet–type assays generally used to measure CD8+ T cell cytolytic activity. An equation previously used to describe neutrophil bactericidal activity in vitro and in vivo also describes antigen-specific CD8+ T cell–mediated cytolysis of cognate antigen-expressing melanoma cells in collagen-fibrin gels in vitro and in transplanted tumors in vivo. We have used this equation to calculate the critical concentration of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, which is the concentration of these cells required to hold constant the concentration of a growing population of cognate antigen-expressing melanoma cells. It is ∼3.5 × 105/ml collagen-fibrin gel in vitro and ∼3 × 106/ml or /g melanoma for previously published studies of ex vivo–activated adoptively transferred tumor antigen–specific CD8+ T cell killing of cognate antigen–expressing melanoma cells in established tumors in vivo. The antigen-specific CD8+ T cell concentration required to kill 100% of 2 × 107/ml cognate antigen-expressing melanoma cells in collagen fibrin gels is ≥107/ml of gel.


1992 ◽  
Vol 175 (6) ◽  
pp. 1623-1633 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Held ◽  
A N Shakhov ◽  
G Waanders ◽  
L Scarpellino ◽  
R Luethy ◽  
...  

The classical minor lymphocyte stimulating (Mls) antigens, which induce a strong primary T cell response in vitro, are closely linked to endogenous copies of mouse mammary tumor viruses (MMTV). Expression of Mls genes leads to clonal deletion of T cell subsets expressing specific T cell receptor (TCR) V beta chains. We describe the isolation and characterization of a new exogenous (infectious) MMTV with biological properties similar to the Mls antigen Mls-1a. In vivo administration of either Mls-1a-expressing B cells or the infectious MMTV (SW) led to an increase of T cells expressing V beta 6 followed by their deletion. Surprisingly, different kinetics of deletion were observed with the exogenous virus depending upon the route of infection. Infection through the mucosa led to a slow deletion of V beta 6+ T cells, whereas deletion was rapid after subcutaneous infection. Sequence analysis of the open reading frames in the 3' long terminal repeat of both this exogenous MMTV (SW) and of Mtv-7 (which is closely linked to Mls-1a) revealed striking similarities, particularly in the COOH terminus, which has been implicated in TCR V beta recognition. The identification of an infectious MMTV with the properties of a strong Mls antigen provides a new, powerful tool to study immunity and tolerance in vivo.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e002035
Author(s):  
Kathrin Davari ◽  
Tristan Holland ◽  
Laura Prassmayer ◽  
Giulia Longinotti ◽  
Kenneth P Ganley ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe cancer-testis antigen MAGE-A4 is an attractive target for T-cell-based immunotherapy, especially for indications with unmet clinical need like non-small cell lung or triple-negative breast cancer.MethodsAn unbiased CD137-based sorting approach was first used to identify an immunogenic MAGE-A4-derived epitope (GVYDGREHTV) that was properly processed and presented on human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 molecules encoded by the HLA-A*02:01 allele. To isolate high-avidity T cells via subsequent multimer sorting, an in vitro priming approach using HLA-A2-negative donors was conducted to bypass central tolerance to this self-antigen. Pre-clinical parameters of safety and activity were assessed in a comprehensive set of in vitro and in vivo studies.ResultsA MAGE-A4-reactive, HLA-A2-restricted T-cell receptor (TCR) was isolated from primed T cells of an HLA-A2-negative donor. The respective TCR-T-cell (TCR-T) product bbT485 was demonstrated pre-clinically to have a favorable safety profile and superior in vivo potency compared with TCR-Ts expressing a TCR derived from a tolerized T-cell repertoire to self-antigens. This natural high-avidity TCR was found to be CD8 co-receptor independent, allowing effector functions to be elicited in transgenic CD4+ T helper cells. These CD4+ TCR-Ts supported an anti-tumor response by direct killing of MAGE-A4-positive tumor cells and upregulated hallmarks associated with helper function, such as CD154 expression and release of key cytokines on tumor-specific stimulation.ConclusionThe extensive pre-clinical assessment of safety and in vivo potency of bbT485 provide the basis for its use in TCR-T immunotherapy studies. The ability of this non-mutated high-avidity, co-receptor-independent TCR to activate CD8+ and CD4+ T cells could potentially provide enhanced cellular responses in the clinical setting through the induction of functionally diverse T-cell subsets that goes beyond what is currently tested in the clinic.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozgun Kilic ◽  
Marcos R. Matos de Souza ◽  
Abdulaziz A. Almotlak ◽  
Jill M. Siegfried ◽  
Carston R. Wagner

ABSTRACTNumerous approaches have targeted the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) for the development of anti-cancer therapeutics, since it is over-expressed on a variety of cancers. Recently, αEGFR chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have shown potential promise for the immunological control of tumors. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that bispecific chemically self-assembled nanorings (CSANs) can modify T cell surfaces and function as prosthetic antigen receptors (PARs). This technology allows selective targeting of tumor antigens due to high avidity of the multimeric rings, while incorporating a mechanism to dissociate the rings to prevent further T cell stimulation. Previously, PARs with single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) have been successful in vitro and in vivo, activating T cells selectively at the tumor site. Alternatively, here we report fibronectin (FN3)-based PARs with improved properties such as increased protein yield, rapid protein production, increased protein stability and predicted low immunogenicity due to the human origin of fibronectins. We examined the cytotoxicity of EGFR-targeting PARs in vitro in which the affinities of the αEGFR fibronectins, the αEGFR/ αCD3 valency of the CSANs and the antigen expression levels were varied. Based on these selective in vitro cytotoxicity results, we conducted an in vivo study of FN3-PARs using an orthotopic breast cancer model. The FN3-PARs demonstrated potent tumor growth suppression with no adverse effects. Furthermore, these results demonstrated that FN3-PARs modulated the tumor microenvironment by downregulating EGFR signaling resulting in decreased PD-L1 expression. In addition, the expression of PD-1 was also found to be reduced. Collectively, these results demonstrate that FN3-PARs have the potential to direct selective T cell targeted tumor killing and that αEGFR FN3-PARs may enhance anti-tumor T cell efficacy by modulating the tumor microenvironment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e002754
Author(s):  
Eva Bräunlein ◽  
Gaia Lupoli ◽  
Franziska Füchsl ◽  
Esam T Abualrous ◽  
Niklas de Andrade Krätzig ◽  
...  

BackgroundNeoantigens derived from somatic mutations correlate with therapeutic responses mediated by treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Neoantigens are therefore highly attractive targets for the development of therapeutic approaches in personalized medicine, although many aspects of their quality and associated immune responses are not yet well understood. In a case study of metastatic malignant melanoma, we aimed to perform an in-depth characterization of neoantigens and respective T-cell responses in the context of immune checkpoint modulation.MethodsThree neoantigens, which we identified either by immunopeptidomics or in silico prediction, were investigated using binding affinity analyses and structural simulations. We isolated seven T-cell receptors (TCRs) from the patient’s immune repertoire recognizing these antigens. TCRs were compared in vitro by multiparametric analyses including functional avidity, multicytokine secretion, and cross-reactivity screenings. A xenograft mouse model served to study in vivo functionality of selected TCRs. We investigated the patient’s TCR repertoire in blood and different tumor-related tissues over 3 years using TCR beta deep sequencing.ResultsSelected mutated peptide ligands with proven immunogenicity showed similar binding affinities to the human leukocyte antigen complex and comparable disparity to their wild-type counterparts in molecular dynamic simulations. Nevertheless, isolated TCRs recognizing these antigens demonstrated distinct patterns in functionality and frequency. TCRs with lower functional avidity showed at least equal antitumor immune responses in vivo. Moreover, they occurred at high frequencies and particularly demonstrated long-term persistence within tumor tissues, lymph nodes and various blood samples associated with a reduced activation pattern on primary in vitro stimulation.ConclusionsWe performed a so far unique fine characterization of neoantigen-specific T-cell responses revealing defined reactivity patterns of neoantigen-specific TCRs. Our data highlight qualitative differences of these TCRs associated with function and longevity of respective T cells. Such features need to be considered for further optimization of neoantigen targeting including adoptive T-cell therapies using TCR-transgenic T cells.


2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (8) ◽  
pp. 1803-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Kamimura ◽  
Michael J. Bevan

An optimal CD8+ T cell response requires signals from the T cell receptor (TCR), co-stimulatory molecules, and cytokines. In most cases, the relative contribution of these signals to CD8+ T cell proliferation, accumulation, effector function, and differentiation to memory is unknown. Recent work (Boyman, O., M. Kovar, M.P. Rubinstein, C.D. Surh, and J. Sprent. 2006. Science. 311:1924–1927; Kamimura, D., Y. Sawa, M. Sato, E. Agung, T. Hirano, and M. Murakami. 2006. J. Immunol. 177:306–314) has shown that anti–interleukin (IL) 2 monoclonal antibodies that are neutralizing in vitro enhance the potency of IL-2 in vivo. We investigated the role of IL-2 signals in driving CD8+ T cell proliferation in the absence of TCR stimulation by foreign antigen. IL-2 signals induced rapid activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 in all CD8+ T cells, both naive and memory phenotype, and promoted the differentiation of naive CD8+ T cells into effector cells. IL-2–anti–IL-2 complexes induced proliferation of naive CD8+ T cells in an environment with limited access to self–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and when competition for self-MHC ligands was severe. After transfer into wild-type animals, IL-2–activated CD8+ T cells attained and maintained a central memory phenotype and protected against lethal bacterial infection. IL-2–anti–IL-2 complex–driven memory-like CD8+ T cells had incomplete cellular fitness compared with antigen-driven memory cells regarding homeostatic turnover and cytokine production. These results suggest that intense IL-2 signals, with limited contribution from the TCR, program the differentiation of protective memory-like CD8+ cells but are insufficient to guarantee overall cellular fitness.


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