BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including those targeting PD-1, are currently used in a wide range of tumors, but only 20-40% of patients achieve clinical benefit. The objective of our study was to find predictive peripheral blood-based biomarkers for ICI treatment. METHODS: In 41 patients with advanced malignant melanoma (MM) and NSCLC treated with PD-1 inhibitors, we analyzed peripheral blood-based immune subsets by flow cytometry before treatment initialization and the second therapy dose. Specifically, we assessed basic blood differential count, overall T cells and their subgroups, B cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). In detail, CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were assessed according to their subtypes, such as central memory T cells (TCM), effector memory T cells (TEM), and naïve T cells (TN). Furthermore, we also evaluated the predictive value of CD28 and ICOS/CD278 co-expression on T cells. RESULTS: Patients who achieved disease control on ICIs had a significantly lower baseline proportion of CD4 + TEM (p = 0.013) and tended to have a higher baseline proportion of CD4 + TCM (p = 0.059). ICI therapy-induced increase in Treg count (p = 0.012) and the proportion of CD4 + TN (p = 0.008) and CD28 + ICOS- T cells (p = 0.012) was associated with disease control. Patients with a high baseline proportion of CD4 + TCM and a low baseline proportion of CD4 + TEM showed significantly longer PFS (p = 0.011, HR 2.6 and p ˂ 0.001, HR 0.23, respectively) and longer OS (p = 0.002, HR 3.75 and p ˂ 0.001, HR 0.15, respectively). Before the second dose, the high proportion of CD28 + ICOS- T cells after ICI therapy initiation was significantly associated with prolonged PFS (p = 0.017, HR 2.51) and OS (p = 0.030, HR 2.69). Also, a high Treg count after 2 weeks of ICI treatment was associated with significantly prolonged PFS (p = 0.016, HR 2.33). CONCLUSION: In summary, our findings suggest that CD4 + TEM and TCM baselines and an early increase in the Treg count induced by PD-1 inhibitors and the proportion of CD28 + ICOS- T cells may be useful in predicting the response in NSCLC and MM patients.

• MeSH
• antigeny CD278 metabolismus   MeSH
• antigeny CD279 antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• antigeny CD28 MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie   účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• inhibitory kontrolních bodů * terapeutické užití   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• melanom * farmakoterapie   imunologie   krev   patologie   MeSH
• nádory plic * farmakoterapie   imunologie   krev   patologie   MeSH
• nemalobuněčný karcinom plic * farmakoterapie   imunologie   krev   patologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

PURPOSE: The IMMUNOSARC trial combined an antiangiogenic agent (sunitinib) with a PD1 inhibitor (nivolumab) in advanced sarcomas. Here, we present the first correlative studies of the soft-tissue sarcoma cohort enrolled in this trial. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded and peripheral blood samples were collected at baseline and week 13. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples were used for transcriptomics and multiplex immunofluorescence, whereas peripheral blood samples were used for multiplexed immunoassays. Flow cytometry and Luminex assays were performed to validate translational findings in tumor-isolated cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from patients. RESULTS: The density of intratumoral CD8+ T cells, measured by multiplexed immunophenotyping, was significantly increased after treatment. This augment was accompanied by the dynamic significant increase in the gene expressions of CD86, CHI3L1, CXCL10, CXCL9, LAG3, and VCAM1 and the decrease in the expression levels of NR4A1. In peripheral blood, 12 proteins were significantly modulated by treatment at week 13. A score integrating the dynamic expression of the 7 genes and the 12 soluble factors separated 2 groups with distinct progression-free survival (PFS): 4.1 months [95% confidence interval, 3.5-not reached (NR)] versus 17 months (95% confidence interval, 12.0-NR), P = 0.014. This molecular score was predictive of PFS when applied to the normalized data determined in the baseline samples. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with sunitinib and nivolumab inflamed the sarcoma microenvironment, increasing CD8+ T-cell density and the expression of several genes/proteins with relevance in the response to PD1 inhibitors. A molecular signature identified two groups of patients with distinct PFS for the combination of antiangiogenics plus PD1 inhibitor therapy.

• MeSH
• antigeny CD279 antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie   účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• inhibitory angiogeneze terapeutické užití   aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• inhibitory kontrolních bodů terapeutické užití   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové biomarkery MeSH
• nádorové mikroprostředí účinky léků   imunologie   MeSH
• nivolumab terapeutické užití   aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• prognóza MeSH
• protokoly protinádorové kombinované chemoterapie terapeutické užití   MeSH
• sarkom * farmakoterapie   patologie   genetika   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• tumor infiltrující lymfocyty imunologie   metabolismus   účinky léků   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) is a CD19-specific CAR-T cell product approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (r/r) DLBCL or B-ALL. We have followed a group of patients diagnosed with childhood B-ALL (n = 5), adult B-ALL (n = 2), and DLBCL (n = 25) who were treated with tisa-cel under non-clinical trial conditions. The goal was to determine how the intensive pretreatment of patients affects the produced CAR-T cells, their in vivo expansion, and the outcome of the therapy. Multiparametric flow cytometry was used to analyze the material used for manufacturing CAR-T cells (apheresis), the CAR-T cell product itself, and blood samples obtained at three timepoints after administration. We present the analysis of memory phenotype of CD4/CD8 CAR-T lymphocytes (CD45RA, CD62L, CD27, CD28) and the expression of inhibitory receptors (PD-1, TIGIT). In addition, we show its relation to the patients' clinical characteristics, such as tumor burden and sensitivity to prior therapies. Patients who responded to therapy had a higher percentage of CD8+CD45RA+CD27+ T cells in the apheresis, although not in the produced CAR-Ts. Patients with primary refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas had the poorest outcomes which was characterized by undetectable CAR-T cell expansion in vivo. No clear correlation of the outcome with the immunophenotypes of CAR-Ts was observed. Our results suggest that an important parameter predicting therapy efficacy is CAR-Ts' level of expansion in vivo but not the immunophenotype. After CAR-T cells' administration, measurements at several timepoints accurately detect their proliferation intensity in vivo. The outcome of CAR-T cell therapy largely depends on biological characteristics of the tumors rather than on the immunophenotype of produced CAR-Ts.

• MeSH
• B-buněčný lymfom * MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• difúzní velkobuněčný B-lymfom * patologie   MeSH
• imunoterapie adoptivní metody   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• průtoková cytometrie MeSH
• receptory antigenů T-buněk metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

6-Diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON) is a glutamine antagonist that suppresses cancer cell metabolism but concurrently enhances the metabolic fitness of tumor CD8+ T cells. DON showed promising efficacy in clinical trials; however, its development was halted by dose-limiting gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities. Given its clinical potential, we designed DON peptide prodrugs and found DRP-104 [isopropyl(S)-2-((S)-2-acetamido-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-propanamido)-6-diazo-5-oxo-hexanoate] that was preferentially bioactivated to DON in tumor while bioinactivated to an inert metabolite in GI tissues. In drug distribution studies, DRP-104 delivered a prodigious 11-fold greater exposure of DON to tumor versus GI tissues. DRP-104 affected multiple metabolic pathways in tumor, including decreased glutamine flux into the TCA cycle. In efficacy studies, both DRP-104 and DON caused complete tumor regression; however, DRP-104 had a markedly improved tolerability profile. DRP-104's effect was CD8+ T cell dependent and resulted in robust immunologic memory. DRP-104 represents a first-in-class prodrug with differential metabolism in target versus toxicity tissue. DRP-104 is now in clinical trials under the FDA Fast Track designation.

• MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• diazooxonorleucin farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• glutamin metabolismus   MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory * farmakoterapie   MeSH
• prekurzory léčiv * farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Nucleophosmin (NPM1, B23) is a multifunctional phosphoprotein expressed in all tissues. The protein is mainly localized in nucleoli. In hematological malignancies, NPM1 belongs to commonly altered genes. Its mutation, always heterozygous, leads to the re-localization of the NPM1 protein from the nucleolus to the cytoplasm (NPM1c+). NPM1c+ is found in 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our study showed that an AML patient, whose leukemia cells carried the NPM1c+ mutation and who was the recipient of allogeneic HSCT from a haploidentical donor, raised a robust allorestricted CD8+ T cell response directed against the NPM1wt protein. Favourably, the response against NPM1wt was not accompanied by side effects such as GvHD. Moreover, the induction of a high NPM1wt-specific response coincided with the decrease in NPM1c+ transcripts detected, implying a beneficial graft versus leukemia effect. On the basis of these results, we suppose that TCRs from allorestricted NPM1wt-specific T cells are worth studying in other recipients of grafts from haploidentical donors as a possible tool for TCR gene therapy.

• MeSH
• akutní myeloidní leukemie * genetika   metabolismus   terapie   MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• hematopoetické kmenové buňky metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• jaderné proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nukleofosmin * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

It has been appreciated for more than three decades that the interactions between the T-cell antigen receptor and self-antigens are the major determinants of the cell fates of developing thymocytes and the establishment of central tolerance. However, recent evidence shows that the level of self-reactivity substantially contributes to fate choices of positively selected mature T cells in homeostasis, as well as during immune responses. This implies that individual clones of peripheral T cells are predisposed to specific functional properties based on the self-reactivity of their antigen receptors. Overall, the relative difference in the self-reactivity among peripheral T cells is an important factor contributing to the diversity of T-cell responses to foreign antigens.

• MeSH
• aktivace lymfocytů imunologie   MeSH
• autoantigeny imunologie   MeSH
• CD4-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• jaderné receptory - podrodina 4, skupina A, člen 1 imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• receptory antigenů T-buněk imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• thymocyty cytologie   imunologie   MeSH
• thymus cytologie   imunologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Interleukin-2 is a pleiotropic cytokine that mediates both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions. Immune cells naturally differ in their sensitivity to IL-2 due to cell type and activation state-dependent expression of receptors and signaling pathway components. To probe differences in IL-2 signaling across cell types, we used structure-based design to create and profile a series of IL-2 variants with the capacity to titrate maximum signal strength in fine increments. One of these partial agonists, IL-2-REH, specifically expanded Foxp3+ regulatory T cells with reduced activity on CD8+ T cells due to cell type-intrinsic differences in IL-2 signaling. IL-2-REH elicited cell type-dependent differences in gene expression and provided mixed therapeutic results: showing benefit in the in vivo mouse dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) model of colitis, but no therapeutic efficacy in a transfer colitis model. Our findings show that cytokine partial agonists can be used to calibrate intrinsic differences in response thresholds across responding cell types to narrow pleiotropic actions, which may be generalizable to other cytokine and growth factor systems.

• MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• cytokiny metabolismus   MeSH
• interleukin-2 agonisté   metabolismus   MeSH
• kolitida chemicky indukované   MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši MeSH
• regulační T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• signální transdukce * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are endowed with the ability of establishing lifelong latency in human hosts and reactivating in immunocompromised subjects, including patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC). We, therefore, aimed to investigate virus-specific immunity in UC patients. A cohort of 24 UC patients (14 responders and 10 refractory to therapy) and 26 control subjects was prospectively enrolled to undergo virus-specific serology (by ELISA assay) and assessment of both CD4+ and CD8+ virus-specific T-cell response (by interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospotanalysis). In parallel, mucosal viral load was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and the values were correlated with both clinical and endoscopic indexes of activity. For statistics, the t-test, Mann-Withney test, Fisher's exact test and Spearman rank correlation test were applied; p < 0.05 was considered significant. EBV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were significantly lower in UC patients compared to controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0006, respectively), whereas no difference was found for HCMV-specific T-cell response. When dividing the UC group according to response to therapy, both responders and refractory UC patients showed a deficient EBV-specific CD4+ T-cell response with respect to controls (p < 0.04 and p = 0.0003, respectively). Moreover, both EBV and HCMV mucosal loads were significantly higher in refractory UC than in responders and controls (p = 0.007 and 0.003; and p = 0.02 and 0.001, respectively), and correlated with activity indexes. Steroid therapy seemed the main risk factor for triggering EBV colitis. Finally, no cases of IgM positivity were found in the study population. An impaired EBV-specific immunity was clearly evident in UC patients, mostly in those refractory to therapy. The ELISPOT assay may serve as new tool for quantifying and monitoring virus-specific T-cell immunity in UC.

• MeSH
• CD4-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• cytomegalovirové infekce farmakoterapie   imunologie   MeSH
• Cytomegalovirus imunologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• DNA virů genetika   MeSH
• infekce virem Epsteina-Barrové farmakoterapie   imunologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• steroidy škodlivé účinky   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• ulcerózní kolitida farmakoterapie   imunologie   virologie   MeSH
• virová nálož MeSH
• virus Epsteinův-Barrové imunologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

A hallmark of cancer, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), is a massive stromal and inflammatory reaction. Many efforts have been made to identify the anti- or protumoral role of cytokines and immune subpopulations within the stroma. Here, we investigated the role of interleukin-17A (IL17A) and its effect on tumor fibroblasts and the tumor microenvironment. We used a spontaneous PDA mouse model (KPC) crossed to IL17A knockout mice to show an extensive desmoplastic reaction, without impaired immune infiltration. Macrophages, especially CD80+ and T cells, were more abundant at the earlier time point. In T cells, a decrease in FoxP3+ cells and an increase in CD8+ T cells were observed in KPC/IL17A-/- mice. Fibroblasts isolated from IL17A+/+ and IL17A-/- KPC mice revealed very different messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein profiles. IL17A-/- fibroblasts displayed the ability to restrain tumor cell invasion by producing factors involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, increasing T cell recruitment, and producing higher levels of cytokines and chemokines favoring T helper 1 cell recruitment and activation and lower levels of those recruiting myeloid/granulocytic immune cells. Single-cell quantitative PCR on isolated fibroblasts confirmed a very divergent profile of IL17A-proficient and -deficient cells. All these features can be ascribed to increased levels of IL17F observed in the sera of IL17A-/- mice, and to the higher expression of its cognate receptor (IL17RC) specifically in IL17A-/- cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In addition to the known effects on neoplastic cell transformation, the IL17 cytokine family uniquely affects fibroblasts, representing a suitable candidate target for combinatorial immune-based therapies in PDA.

• MeSH
• adenokarcinom genetika   patologie   MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• duktální karcinom slinivky břišní genetika   patologie   MeSH
• fibroblasty asociované s nádorem metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• forkhead transkripční faktory genetika   MeSH
• interleukin-17 genetika   MeSH
• karcinogeneze genetika   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nádorové mikroprostředí genetika   MeSH
• receptory interleukinů genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

T cell memory relies on the generation of antigen-specific progenitors with stem-like properties. However, the identity of these progenitors has remained unclear, precluding a full understanding of the differentiation trajectories that underpin the heterogeneity of antigen-experienced T cells. We used a systematic approach guided by single-cell RNA-sequencing data to map the organizational structure of the human CD8+ memory T cell pool under physiological conditions. We identified two previously unrecognized subsets of clonally, epigenetically, functionally, phenotypically and transcriptionally distinct stem-like CD8+ memory T cells. Progenitors lacking the inhibitory receptors programmed death-1 (PD-1) and T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) were committed to a functional lineage, whereas progenitors expressing PD-1 and TIGIT were committed to a dysfunctional, exhausted-like lineage. Collectively, these data reveal the existence of parallel differentiation programs in the human CD8+ memory T cell pool, with potentially broad implications for the development of immunotherapies and vaccines.

• MeSH
• biologické markery MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace imunologie   MeSH
• CD8-pozitivní T-lymfocyty imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• homeostáza telomer MeSH
• imunofenotypizace MeSH
• imunologická paměť * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lymfoidní progenitorové buňky cytologie   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• T-lymfocyty - podskupiny imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• výpočetní biologie metody   MeSH
• vysoce účinné nukleotidové sekvenování MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH