Impaired antigen presentation and effectiveness of combined active/passive immunotherapy for epithelial tumors.
BACKGROUND
Although immunization with tumor antigens can eliminate many transplantable tumors in animal models, immune effector mechanisms associated with successful immunotherapy of epithelial cancers remain undefined.


METHODS
Skin from transgenic mice expressing the cervical cancer-associated tumor antigen human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6 or E7 proteins from a keratin 14 promoter was grafted onto syngeneic, non-transgenic mice. Skin graft rejection was measured after active immunization with HPV16 E7 and adoptive transfer of antigen-specific T cells. Cytokine secretion of lymphocytes from mice receiving skin grafts and immunotherapy was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and HPV16 E7-specific memory CD8+ T cells were detected by flow cytometry and ELISPOT.


RESULTS
Skin grafts containing HPV16 E6-or E7-expressing keratinocytes were not rejected spontaneously or following immunization with E7 protein and adjuvant. Adoptive transfer of E7-specific T-cell receptor transgenic CD8+ T cells combined with immunization resulted in induction of antigen-specific interferon gamma-secreting CD8+ T cells and rejection of HPV16 E7-expressing grafts. Specific memory CD8+ T cells were generated by immunotherapy. However, a further HPV16 E7 graft was rejected from animals with memory T cells only after a second E7 immunization.


CONCLUSIONS
Antigen-specific CD8+ T cells can destroy epithelium expressing HPV16 E7 tumor antigen, but presentation of E7 antigen from skin is insufficient to reactivate memory CD8+ T cells induced by immunotherapy. Thus, effective cancer immunotherapy in humans may need to invoke sufficient effector as well as memory T cells.
Matsumoto
Koji
K
Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research, The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Australia.
Leggatt
Graham R
GR
Zhong
Jie
J
Liu
Xiaosong
X
de Kluyver
Rachel L
RL
Peters
Tania
T
Fernando
Germain J P
GJ
Liem
Amy
A
Lambert
Paul F
PF
Frazer
Ian H
IH
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D053547:Keratin-14; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000276:immunology; D007633:Keratins / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; C507540:KRT14 protein, human; D053547:Keratin-14; C507446:Krt14 protein, mouse; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16; D007633:Keratins; D007371:Interferon-gamma