Academic literature on the topic 'The immune response of T lymphocyte cell'

ABSTRACT To afford the greatest possible immune protection, candidate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines must generate diverse and long-lasting CD8+ T lymphocyte responses. In the present study, we evaluate T-cell receptor Vβ (variable region beta) gene usage and a CDR3 (complementarity-determining region 3) sequence to assess the clonality of epitope-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes generated in rhesus monkeys following vaccination and simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) challenge. We found that vaccine-elicited epitope-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes have a clonal diversity comparable to those cells generated in response to SHIV infection. Moreover, we show that the clonal diversity of vaccine-elicited CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses is dictated by the epitope sequence and is not affected by the mode of antigen delivery to the immune system. Clonal CD8+ T-lymphocyte populations persisted following boosting with different vectors, and these clonal cell populations could be detected for as long as 4 years after SHIV challenge. Finally, we show that the breadth of these epitope-specific T lymphocytes transiently focuses in response to intense SHIV replication. These observations demonstrate the importance of the initial immune response to SHIV, induced by vaccination or generated during primary infection, in determining the clonal diversity of cell-mediated immune responses and highlight the focusing of this clonal diversity in the setting of high viral loads. Circumventing this restricted CD8+ T-lymphocyte clonal diversity may present a significant challenge in the development of an effective HIV vaccine strategy.

ABSTRACT The in situ immunologic response in human coccidioidomycosis remains undefined. To explore this further, pulmonary necrotizing coccidioidal granulomata were examined using immunohistochemical staining for lymphocyte subsets and for the cytokines interleukin-10 (IL-10) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Discrete perigranulomatous lymphocytic clusters were seen in eight of nine tissues examined. In these tissues, T lymphocytes (CD3+) significantly outnumbered B lymphocytes (CD20+) in the mantle area of the granulomata (P = 0.028), whereas the clusters were composed of roughly equal numbers of T and B lymphocytes. While the number of cells in the mantle expressing IL-10 was similar to those in the perigranulomatous clusters, there were significantly more cells expressing IFN-γ in the mantle than in the clusters (P = 0.037). Confocal microscopy revealed that CD4+ T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes are associated with IL-10 production. CD4+CD25+ T lymphocytes were identified in the perigranulomatous clusters but were not associated with IL-10 production. This is the first report noting perigranulomatous lymphocyte clusters and IL-10 in association with human coccidioidal granulomata and suggests that down-regulation of the cellular immune response is occurring within coccidioidal granulomata.

ABSTRACT Infection of cattle with Neospora caninum protozoa, the causative agent of bovine protozoal abortion, results in robust cellular and humoral immune responses, particularly CD4+ T-lymphocyte activation and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) secretion. In the present study, N. caninum SRS2 (NcSRS2) T-lymphocyte-epitope-bearing subunits were incorporated into DNA and peptide preparations to assess CD4+ cell proliferation and IFN-γ T-lymphocyte-secretion immune responses in cattle with predetermined major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotypes. In order to optimize dendritic-cell processing, NcSRS2 DNA vaccine was delivered with granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor and Flt3 ligand adjuvant. The synthesized NcSRS2 peptides were coupled with a palmitic acid molecule (lipopeptide) and delivered with Freund's adjuvant. Cattle vaccinated with NcSRS2 DNA vaccine alone did not induce T-lymphocyte activation or IFN-γ secretion, whereas subsequent booster inoculation with NcSRS2-lipopeptides induced robust NcSRS2-specific immune responses. Compared to the response in control animals, NcSRS2-lipopeptide-immunized cattle had significantly increased NcSRS2-specific T-lymphocyte proliferation, numbers of IFN-γ-secreting peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2a antibody levels. The findings show that N. caninum NcSRS2 subunits bearing T-lymphocyte epitopes induced cell-mediated immune responses similar to the protective immune responses previously described against live parasite infection, namely T-lymphocyte activation and IFN-γ secretion. The findings support the investigation of NcSRS2 immunogens for protection against N. caninum-induced fetal infection and abortion in cattle.

In higher vertebrates, helper and cytotoxic T cells, referred to as CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, respectively, are mainly associated with adaptive immunity. The adaptive immune system in teleosts involves T cells equivalent to those found in mammals. We previously generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) CD4 T cells, CD4-1 and CD4-2, and used these to describe the olive flounder’s CD4 Tcell response during a viral infection. In the present study, we successfully produced mAbs against CD8 T lymphocytes and their specificities were confirmed using immuno-blotting, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry analysis andreverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that these mAbs are specific for CD8 T lymphocytes. We also investigated variations in CD4 and CD8 T cells populations, and analyzed the expression of immune-related genes expressed by these cells in fish infected with nervous necrosis virus or immunized with thymus dependent and independent antigens. We found that both CD4 and CD8 T lymphocyte populations significantly increased in these fish and Th1-related genes were up-regulated compared to the control group. Collectively, these findings suggest that the CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes in olive flounder are similar to the helper and cytotoxic T cells found in mammals, and Th1 and cytotoxic immune responses are primarily involved in the early adaptive immune response against extracellular antigens.

Abstract The T lymphocytes contained in cord blood are naïve and do not have antigen-specific function. Since the antigen-specific T lymphocytes contained in other hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) source may contribute to protective cellular immunity following transplantation, it has been hypothesized that the recipients of cord blood transplantation (CBT) might be at increased risk of opportunistic infections. The development of antigen-specific T lymphocyte function was measured in 153 recipients of unrelated cord blood transplants (UCBT) by determining antigen-specific T lymphocyte proliferation to the herpes viruses (CMV, HSC, VZV) for 3 years following UCBT. The first antigen-specific response was detected 29 days following transplantation to HSV. Positive T lymphocyte proliferative responses were detected in 66 recipients: 40 to VZV, 36 to HSV and 22 to CMV. Recipients with and without documented herpes infection/reactivation were equally likely to develop positive proliferative responses. The development of antigen-specific T lymphocyte function following UCBT documents successful immune reconstitution since the antigen-specific T lymphocytes are derived from naïve T lymphocytes or HSC, but not donor-derived antigen-specific T lymphocytes. The assessment of antigen-specific function following CBT is a model for the evaluation of post-transplant immune reconstitution without the compounding influence of donor derived antigen-specific function.

Abstract Although it is well established that heterogeneity of lymphocyte fate is an essential feature of adaptive immune responses, how and when these divergent cellular fates are specified remains unknown. It has been previously shown that a T lymphocyte responding to a microbial infection can undergo asymmetric division to yield two daughter cells that are differentially fated from inception. Such a model suggests that the progeny arising from each of the two differentially fated daughter cells might exhibit distinct patterns of gene expression. Because strategies analyzing bulk cell populations cannot distinguish differences among individual cells, we applied high-throughput single cell gene expression profiling to interrogate single CD8+ T lymphocytes throughout the course of an immune response to a bacterial infection. We demonstrate that terminally differentiated effector cells and self-renewing memory cells exhibit unique gene expression profiles. Moreover, we are able to identify cells early during the immune response, beginning with the first cell division, that exhibit distinct gene expression patterns characteristic of effector or memory cells. Finally, we derive a network model that allows us to predict the sequential activation of genes that orchestrate each cellular fate, providing a comprehensive view of CD8+ T lymphocyte differentiation. Together, these results provide novel insights into the specification of lymphocyte fates during an immune response.

Abstract The immunosuppressive agent, cyclosporin A (CsA) blocks production of IL-2 by lymphocytes in vitro, and impairs immune responses in vivo. During infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), IL-2 is produced by spleen lymphocytes with a time course corresponding to that of T cell activation and proliferation, but distinct from NK cell activation and proliferation. To evaluate the requirement for IL-2 in supporting lymphocyte proliferation in vivo, and to investigate the mechanisms of CsA-induced immunosuppression, the effects of CsA on LCMV-elicited responses were examined. CsA had profound effects on lymphocyte expansion and CTL activation on day 7 postinfection, the peak of the T cell response to LCMV. Proliferation of both the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets was affected. Inhibition of T cell expansion was accompanied by the inhibition of IL-2 production and IL-2 responsiveness. In situ hybridization revealed a 50% reduction in the percentage of cells transcribing IL-2, suggesting that CsA blocked IL-2 production at the level of gene transcription. Transcripts of the gene for the IL-2R p55 chain are also normally elevated during infection, and CsA treatment resulted in an 80% reduction in the percentage of cells transcribing this gene. A reduced responsiveness of freshly isolated cells to rIL-2 in vitro correlated with the reduction of IL-2 receptor gene transcription positive cells. In contrast to effects of the drug on T cells, the level of NK cell activation was not decreased as a result of CsA treatment. These observations suggest that the IL-2 produced by lymphocytes in vivo in response to virus infection is required to promote the T cell response to LCMV, but do not support a role for IL-2 in NK cell activation under the conditions examined. Furthermore, the data demonstrate the profound inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation induced by CsA treatment during an in vivo immune response.

ABSTRACT Dominant epitope-specific CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses play a central role in controlling viral spread. We explored the basis for the development of this focused immune response in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)- and simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected rhesus monkeys through the use of two dominant (p11C and p199RY) and two subdominant (p68A and p56A) epitopes. Using real-time PCR to quantitate T-cell receptor (TCR) variable region beta (Vβ) family usage, we show that CD8+ T-lymphocyte populations specific for dominant epitopes are characterized by a diverse Vβ repertoire, whereas those specific for subdominant epitopes employ a dramatically more focused Vβ repertoire. We also demonstrate that dominant epitope-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes employ TCRs with multiple CDR3 lengths, whereas subdominant epitope-specific cells employ TCRs with a more restricted CDR3 length. Thus, the relative dominance of an epitope-specific CD8+ T-lymphocyte response reflects the clonal diversity of that response. These findings suggest that the limited clonal repertoire of subdominant epitope-specific CD8+ T-lymphocyte populations may limit the ability of these epitope-specific T-lymphocyte populations to expand and therefore limit the ability of these cell populations to contribute to the control of viral replication.

Endogenous control mechanisms, including immune checkpoints and immunosuppressive cells, are exploited in the process of tumorigenesis to weaken the anti-tumor immune response. Cancer treatment by chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibition can lead to changes of checkpoint expression, which influences therapy success. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were isolated from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients (n = 23) and compared to healthy donors (n = 23). Immune checkpoint expression (programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-1), tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-related (GITR), CD137, tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 (TNFRSF4) (OX40), t-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM3), B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3)) was determined on immune cells by flow cytometry. PD-L1 expression was detected on tumor tissue by immunohistochemistry. Immune cells were treated with immuno- and chemotherapeutics to investigate treatment-specific change in immune checkpoint expression, in vitro. Specific changes of immune checkpoint expression were identified on PBL and TIL of HNSCC patients compared to healthy donors. Various chemotherapeutics acted differently on the expression of immune checkpoints. Changes of checkpoint expression were significantly less pronounced on regulatory T cells compared to other lymphocyte populations. Nivolumab treatment significantly reduced the receptor PD-1 on all analyzed T cell populations, in vitro. The specific immune checkpoint expression patterns in HNSCC patients and the investigated effects of immunomodulatory agents may improve the development and efficacy of targeted immunotherapy.

ABSTRACT In contrast to pathogenic lentiviral infections, chronic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in its natural host is characterized by a lack of increased immune activation and apoptosis. To determine whether these differences are species specific and predicted by the early host response to SIV in primary infection, we longitudinally examined T-lymphocyte apoptosis, immune activation, and the SIV-specific cellular immune response in experimentally infected rhesus macaques (RM) and sooty mangabeys (SM) with controlled or uncontrolled SIV infection. SIVsmE041, a primary SIVsm isolate, reproduced set-point viremia levels of natural SIV infection in SM but was controlled in RM, while SIVmac239 replicated to high levels in RM. Following SIV infection, increased CD8+ T-lymphocyte apoptosis, temporally coinciding with onset of SIV-specific cellular immunity, and elevated plasma Th1 cytokine and gamma interferon-induced chemokine levels were common to both SM and RM. Different from SM, SIV-infected RM showed a significantly higher frequency of peripheral blood activated CD8+ T lymphocytes despite comparable magnitude of the SIV-specific gamma interferon enzyme-linked immunospot response. Furthermore, an increase in CD4+ and CD4−CD8− T-lymphocyte apoptosis and plasma tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand were observed only in RM and occurred in both controlled SIVsmE041 and uncontrolled SIVmac239 infection. These data suggest that the “excess” activated T lymphocytes in RM soon after SIV infection are predominantly of non-virus-specific bystander origin. Thus, species-specific differences in the early innate immune response appear to be an important factor contributing to differential immune activation in natural and nonnatural hosts of SIV infection.

Par rapport à l’adulte, le nouveau-né présente une susceptibilité accrue aux agents infectieux et au développement d’allergies. Une polarisation de l’immunité acquise vers des réponses de type Th2, productrices d’IL-4, d’IL-5 et d’IL-13, et un défaut de réponses immunes de type Th1, sécrétant de l’IFN-γ, peuvent rendre compte de ce statut immunitaire particulier. De plus, un retard de production et de maturation des anticorps, caractéristiques de l’immunité humorale, s’observe en début de vie.

Récemment, de nouveaux lymphocytes T auxiliaires ont été décrits, les lymphocytes Th17, producteurs d’IL-17A, d’IL-17F et d’IL-22, d’une part, et les lymphocytes Tfh, sécrétant de l’IL-21 et exprimant CXCR5, ICOS et PD-1, d’autre part. La différenciation des lymphocytes Th17 dépend de la présence d’IL-6 ou d’IL-21 et de TGF-β, et est inhibée par l’IL-4 ;tandis que les lymphocytes Tfh sont induits en présence d’IL-21, d’IL-6 et du répresseur transcriptionnel Bcl6. Alors que les lymphocytes Th17 sont associés à des réponses inflammatoires par le recrutement de neutrophiles, les lymphocytes Tfh aident les lymphocytes B à produire des anticorps de haute affinité.

L’objectif principal de notre travail est l’étude du développement potentiel de réponses de type Th17 chez le nouveau-né de souris soumis à une stimulation allogénique et au manque d’IL-4. De plus, l’existence potentielle de lymphocytes Tfh induits chez le nouveau-né immunisé avec un vaccin constitué d’ovalbumine de poulet et d’Alum, sera investiguée.

Dans notre modèle de tolérance néonatale, l’immunisation de nouveau-nés BALB/c à l’aide de cellules spléniques semi-allogéniques F1 (AJAX x BALB/c) induit une polarisation de type Th2, associée à l’établissement d’un chimérisme lymphoïde et à l’acceptation d’une greffe de peau présentant les alloantigènes rencontrés à la naissance. Des nouveau-nés soumis à cette immunisation allogénique et à la privation d’IL-4, réalisée par l’utilisation d’anticorps monoclonaux ou de souris IL-4-/-, rejettent de façon aiguë les greffons de peau et présentent une proportion réduite de cellules chimériques. Cette rupture de la tolérance néonatale est associée à l’inhibition de la réponse allospécifique de type Th2 et au développement de lymphocytes Th17 alloréactifs, produisant de l’IL-17A. L’inhibition de la voie Th17 ne conduit toutefois pas à l’acceptation des allogreffes de peau. Par contre, la neutralisation de l’IL-6 ou de l’IL-17A et la réduction du nombre de neutrophiles restaurent la proportion de cellules chimériques présentes dans la rate, démontrant que la réponse de type Th17 allospécifique néonatale contrôle le chimérisme lymphoïde.

En réponse au vaccin OVA-Alum, les nouveau-nés présentent une proportion accrue de lymphocytes Tfh CXCR5+ PD-1+, bien que cette proportion lymphocytaire soit significativement diminuée par rapport aux adultes. Les lymphocytes Tfh néonataux expriment en outre des taux moindres des ARNm d’IL-21, d’IL-4 et de Bcl6, suggérant que la génération de lymphocytes Tfh est altérée en début de vie. En parallèle, les titres et la maturation des anticorps produits suite à la vaccination sont réduits chez les nouveau-nés, en comparaison avec les adultes. Cependant, qu’ils soient déficients en IL-4 ou non, des lymphocytes T CD4+ néonataux activés in vitro en présence d’IL-6 induisent une production d’anticorps par des lymphocytes B compétents, suggérant qu’il n’y a pas de défaut intrinsèque des lymphocytes T du nouveau-né à développer une capacité d’aide aux lymphocytes B.

En conclusion, nous avons montré que la polarisation de type Th2 néonatale inhibe la différenciation de lymphocytes Th17 alloréactifs contrôlant le rejet de cellules allogéniques, un mécanisme pouvant intervenir dans la relation immunitaire entre la mère et l’enfant. Nos résultats indiquent également que le nouveau-né est capable de différencier des lymphocytes Tfh, bien que le développement de ces derniers semble réduit. \
Doctorat en Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques
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Summary of the work

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a chronic degenerative disease that usually affects men over 65 years with an estimated prevalence of 5%. Aneurysm rupture represents a catastrophic event which carries a mortality rate of almost 90%. Current therapeutic options for AAAs measuring 5.5 cm in diameter or larger are based on prophylactic surgery, including conventional open reconstruction and endovascular stent-graft insertion. For patients with small asymptomatic AAAs (4.0 up to 5.5 cm in diameter), evidence from two recent large randomized controlled trials indicates no long-term survival benefit from immediate elective surgical repair as compared to imaging surveillance until aneurysm expands to 5.5 cm. This highlights the need for development of novel medical management strategies, including selective pharmacologic approaches, directed at preventing aneurysm expansion. In this regard, it is expected that a detailed knowledge of the pathobiology of human AAA lesion and a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying initiation and progression of aneurysmal degeneration, particularly the specific involvement of T lymphocytes, will have special relevance to this challenging issue.

Inflammatory and helper T-cell responses in abdominal aortic aneurysm :controversial issues

Innate and inflammatory responses to endovascular versus open AAA repair. The occurrence of early acute systemic inflammatory responses after conventional open AAA repair is widely recognized and is thought to lead to the development of organ dysfunction and multiple organ failure, responsible for a large proportion of morbidity and mortality associated with aortic surgery. New therapeutic strategies designed to avoid ischemia-reperfusion injury related to aortic cross-clamping and to minimize the degree of tissue damage have thus been developed recently. Specifically, the advent of endovascular techniques has radically extended management options for patients with AAA. Although the method is believed to offer a clear short-term benefit over open repair, notably as regards restricted perioperative haemodynamic parameter fluctuations, reduced blood loss, briefer duration of surgery, shorter hospital stay, and lower 30-day mortality and complication rates, conflicting data are available regarding the exact nature and extent of the inflammatory events arising after such endoluminal procedures ;while several authors have indeed reported that endovascular AAA repair can determine a less intense and extensive inflammatory response, others have unexpectedly observed that the method may elicit a strong inflammatory response, the so-called « postimplantation syndrome ».

Adaptive cellular immune responses in human aneurysmal aortic lesion.

The inflammatory nature of AAA disease has long been suggested by the presence of a great number of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the outer media and adventitia of human AAA lesion. Interestingly, such infiltrating T-cell populations may have significant implications in the process of aneurysm dilation, since cytokines produced by T cells, notably IFN-gamma, have previously been shown to modulate production of matrix-degrading enzymes by resident macrophages and to induce apoptosis of medial SMCs. Through these key pathological mechanisms, T cells could potentially contribute to orchestrate aortic wall connective tissue disordered remodeling and degradation, and promote extensive disruption of elastic media, ultimately leading to aneurysmal degeneration. Nevertheless, despite their relative abundance in human AAA wall tissues, there is limited and controversial information as regards the functional profile of lesional lymphocytes, the exact nature of aortic wall adaptive cellular responses, and the etiologic role of T cells and their cytokines in initiation and progression of the aneurysmal process. Indeed, both Th1-type and Th2-type responses have been identified in human studies and experimental animal models of AAA.

Aims of the work

The main objectives of our work were to explore the innate and adaptive cellular immune responses in human AAA. In the first part of our work, we aimed to examine prospectively innate and inflammatory responses arising in a non-randomised cohort of patients undergoing endovascular versus open AAA repair. In the second part of our work, we focused our efforts on characterizing the nature of adaptive cellular immune responses and the phenotypic and functional repertoire of T cells in human AAA wall tissues obtained from a consecutive series of patients undergoing open AAA repair. Specifically, we sought to determine whether type 1 or type 2 responses occur predominantly in advanced AAA lesion.

Main experimental findings

Limited inflammatory response after endovascular AAA repair. Serial peripheral venous blood samples were collected preoperatively, immediately after declamping or insertion of endograft, and after 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. We first examined the acute phase reaction and liberation of complement cascade products using turbidimetric method and nephelometry. We found that endovascular repair produced lower postoperative CRP, leucocytosis, neutrophilia, and C3d/C3 ratio as compared to open surgery. We next analyzed surface expression of activation markers on peripheral CD3+ T cells using flow cytometry. We observed a strong upregulation of CD38 after open but not endovascular repair. Analysis of CD69 and CD25 molecules revealed no perioperative fluctuations in any group. We then investigated release of various circulating soluble cell adhesion molecules, proinflammatory cytokines, and chemokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We demonstrated that both procedures are characterized by similar increases in ICAM-1 and IL-6 levels. Finally, tendency towards high levels of TNF-alpha and IL-8 was detected in endovascular repair, but data failed to reach statistical significance.

Predominance of type 1 CD4+ T cells in human aneurysmal aortic lesion. We have developed a tissue enzymatic digestion and cell extraction procedure to isolate intact mononuclear cells from aortic wall segments. This original cell isolation protocol enabled us to examine ex vivo the presence, phenotype, and cytokine secretion profile of infiltrating T lymphocytes freshly isolated from human AAA tissues for comparison with their circulating counterparts using flow cytometry. We found that both populations of infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells display a unique activated memory phenotype, as assessed by an increased expression of CD69 and HLA-DR activation antigens, downregulation of CD62L molecule, and predominant expression of the CD45RO isoform characteristics of memory cells. In addition, we identified the presence in human aneurysmal aortic wall lesion of CD4+ T cells producing high levels of IFN-gamma but not IL-4, reflecting their type 1 nature. In an additional series of experiments, cytokine gene expression was determined in whole aneurysmal and non-diseased aortic samples using LightCycler-based quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The molecular basis of type 1 or type 2 dominant responses was further specified by analyzing mRNA levels of transcription factors specifically involved in Th1 or Th2 differentiation such as T-bet and GATA-3. We demonstrated that aneurysmal aortic specimens exhibit high transcript levels of IFN-gamma but not IL-4, and consistently overexpressed the IFN-g-promoting cytokine IL-12 and the type 1-restricted transcription factor T-bet, further establishing the prominent type 1 nature of aortic wall responses. Moreover, such selective tissue expression of IL-12 and T-bet in the vessel microenvironment points to a potential role for these signals in directing aortic wall responses towards a type 1 phenotype.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that endovascular AAA repair is associated with a lesser degree of acute phase reaction, peripheral T-cell activation, and release of complement proteins as compared to conventional open surgery, suggesting that the innate and inflammatory responses to AAA repair are significantly attenuated by the endovascular approach as compared to the traditional open reconstruction. These results support the view that the endoluminal procedure represents an attractive alternative to open surgery for the treatment of large aneurysms. On the other hand, we have demonstrated that Th1 cell infiltrates predominate in human end-stage AAA lesion. These observations are relevant for helping clarify the pathobiology of human AAA tissues and defining prospects for the prevention of aneurysm expansion. Indeed, identification of such infiltrating populations of IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells not only provide new insights into the pathogenesis of the disorder, but could also serve as a basis for the development of novel medical management strategies directed at preventing aneurysm formation and progression, including therapeutic approaches based on the modulation of aortic wall responses and designed to selectively target T-cell activation and cytokine production. In this respect, the present work provides experimental evidence in support of the emerging concept that, although multifactorial, aneurysm disease may be regarded as a Th1-driven immunopathological condition, and suggests that strategies targeting IFN-gamma could be a particularly exciting and fruitful avenue for further investigation. Ongoing clinical and basic research in these areas can be expected to yield design of promising pharmacologic approaches to control AAA expansion. From a clinical perspective, such efforts have the potential to dramatically influence both the outcome and management of this common and life threatening condition.

Doctorat en sciences médicales
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2006.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 288 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Les til-t provenant de 20 lmnh b de type histologique/cytologique varies ont été étudiés et 174 clones t ont été générés dans 9 des cas. 4 groupes prolifératifs ont été identifiés sur la base de prolifération des til-t. Les pourcentages de clones proliférant dans ces 4 groupes sont respectivement de 63%, 70% et 56%, et 10%. Dans les lmnh de forte malignite, 25% (5/20) des clones t prolifèrent sous l'effet des bm alors que dans les lmnh de faible malignite, il y en a 55% (36/65) (p < 0,05). Il en est de même pour leurs capacités de dissémination : dans les lmnh localisés (stades i et ii), 70% (28/40) des clones t prolifèrent au contact des bm, alors que dans les lmnh disséminés (stades iii et iv), 29% (13/45) des clones t ont cette capacité. La différence apparaît encore plus significative (p < 0,01). Ces corrélations ne sont pas observées avec la stimulation par les cellules b normales autologues infectées par le virus epstein barr (b-ebv) ou les cellules b normales allogeniques (bn-allo). La réponse proliférative des clones t vis-à-vis des bm n'est pas corrélée à un phénotype préférentiel des clones t cd4 ou cd8. 46 clones t provenant de 8 ganglions malins ont été testés pour leur capacité cytotoxique contre les bm. Seuls 6 clones t ont exprimé cette propriété. La production de gm-csf, d'inf, de tnf et d'il4 sur 9 clones, et celle d'il2 sur 5 clones ont été détectées sous l'effet des bm. Des clones t sont capables de proliférer et/ou d'exprimer l'ag cd25 au contact des bm, avec une intensité proportionnelle à la quantité de cellules b utilisées. La prolifération et l'expression de l'ag cd25 des cellules t est liée à une structure membranaire des bm. 6 clones t sont incapables de proliférer au contact des b-ebv et des bn-allo, ce qui est très en faveur de l'existence d'un antigène stimulant propre aux bm. En utilisant la méthode des ac bloquants, nous avons démontré que des clones t prolifèrent au contact des bm selon deux mécanismes qui impliquent tous le tcr mais qui se différencient par l'intervention ou non du cmh des bm

Les nouveau-nés et les jeunes enfants ont une susceptibilité plus élevée aux infections par rapport aux enfants plus âgés et aux adultes. Cette caractéristique est en partie attribuée à l’immaturité de leur système immunitaire qui est associée à une capacité limitée à développer des réponses immunitaires à médiation cellulaire. L’infection par le cytomégalovirus (HCMV) est la cause la plus fréquente d’infection congénitale chez l’Homme et une cause majeure de surdité et de retard mental. En Belgique, le dépistage anténatal de l’infection primaire par le HCMV chez les femmes enceintes offre l’opportunité d’étudier les réponses immunitaires du foetus à ce virus et de les comparer à celles de leur maman.

Les lymphocytes T CD4+ Th1 et les lymphocytes T CD8+ cytotoxiques jouent un rôle crucial dans le contrôle des pathogènes intracellulaires dont le HCMV fait partie. La littérature montre une capacité limitée des enfants congénitalement infectés par le HCMV à développer des réponses T CD4+ spécifiques du HCMV. En contraste, des réponses de lymphocytes T CD8+ spécifiques du HCMV ont été rapportées chez des enfants infectés in utero, mais ces réponses n’ont pas été comparées en détails à celles de l’adulte. De plus, notre connaissance des réponses T spécifiques du HCMV durant l’infection primaire par ce virus est limitée. Des études antérieures ont rapporté un défaut de prolifération et de production d’IL-2 des lymphocytes T spécifiques du HCMV chez des adultes avec durant la phase primaire de l’infection, mais les mécanismes restent non-élucidés.

Nous avons caractérisé les réponses de lymphocytes T CD4+ et CD8+ spécifiques du HCMV provenant du sang de cordon de nouveau-nés congénitalement infectés par le HCMV, et nous avons comparé ces réponses à celles de leurs mamans diagnostiquées avec une infection primaire par le HCMV durant la grossesse. En plus, nous avons comparé les réponses T CD4+ et CD8+ de ces mamans à celles d’adultes infectés chroniquement par le virus. Chez les nouveau-nés, nous avons démontré que des lymphocytes T CD4+ de sang de cordon exprimant un phénotype de différentiation spécifique du HCMV (CD27-CD28-) ainsi qu’un phénotype Th1 similaire à celui des cellules maternelles étaient induits in utero lors de l’infection congénitale par le HCMV. De plus, la détection d’expansions oligoclonales suggérait fortement une expansion antigène-spécifique de ces cellules. Cependant, les T CD4+ de nouveau-nés présentaient une capacité fortement réduite à produire des cytokines anti-virales (IFN-γ, TNF-α et MIP-1β) en réponse à une stimulation ex vivo avec les antigènes du HCMV, par rapport aux cellules maternelles. Les lymphocytes T (CD27-CD28-) CD4+ de nouveau-nés produisaient également des niveaux plus bas de cytokines antivirales en réponse à des stimulations polyclonales avec l’anti-CD3 et la PMA/ionomycine, suggérant des altérations en amont et en aval de la voie de signalisation du TCR. Nos résultats suggèrent que ces altérations pourraient impliquer la diminution de l’expression de molécules impliquées dans cette voie de signalisation. De la même manière, nous

avons montré que chez le nouveau-né, la fonction des T CD8+ spécifiques du HCMV était altérée par rapport à celle de l’adulte. Nous avons observé des proportions similaires de T CD8+ (CD27-CD28-) chez les nouveau-nés et les adultes. De plus, l’analyse du répertoire du TCR Vβ de ces cellules par séquençage haut-débit a révélé une capacité similaire à générer un répertoire T diversifié dans les deux groupes. Comme rapporté précédemment, nous avons détecté des fréquences similaires de lymphocytes T CD8+ spécifiques pour l’antigène immunodominant pp65. Cependant, lorsque les stimulations ont été étendues à d’autres antigènes du HCMV, nous avons observé que le répertoire antigénique reconnu par ces cellules était significativement réduit chez les nouveau-nés, en association avec une diminution de la polyfonctionalité et de la production de cytokines par cellule.

Nous avons également montré que, dans une moindre mesure, la fonction des lymphocytes T spécifiques du HCMV était diminuée durant l’infection primaire chez l’adulte. Comme reporté précédemment, les T CD4+ spécifiques du HCMV proliféraient moins et produisaient moins d’IL-2 par rapport à des individus dans la phase chronique de l’infection. Ce défaut de production d’IL-2 affectait à la fois les populations de cellules CD28+ et CD28-, montrant que l’accumulation de lymphocytes T CD4+ ayant perdu l’expression de la molécule CD28 (un signal de co-stimulation important pour la production d’IL-2) est seulement un des facteurs contribuant à la diminution de la production d’IL-2 par les cellules spécifiques du HCMV. En accord avec cette observation, nous avons montré une diminution de la production par cellule d’IFN-γ et de TNF-α touchant également à la fois les populations de T CD4+ CD28+ et CD28- durant la phase primaire de l’infection, un défaut associé avec une avidité fonctionnelle diminuée de ces cellules. De la même manière, la polyfonctionalité et la production de cytokines par cellule des lymphocytes T CD8+ spécifiques du HCMV étaient également diminuées chez les adultes durant la phase d’infection primaire.

En résumé, nos résultats montrent que la fonction des lymphocytes T spécifiques du HCMV de nouveau-nés et d’adultes est altérée durant l’infection primaire par rapport à des individus infectés chroniquement par le virus. Nous montrons que cette régulation fonctionnelle ressemble à l’exhaustion fonctionnelle des lymphocytes T observée durant les infections virales chroniques associées à des charges virales élevées. L’infection primaire par le HCMV est caractérisée par une réplication virale intense qui dure pendant plusieurs mois suivant l’infection. Nous émettons l’hypothèse que les hauts taux de réplication virale observés durant l’infection congénitale et chez l’adulte durant l’infection primaire par le HCMV pourraient interférer avec certaines fonctions des lymphocytes T./Neonates and young infants have a higher susceptibility to infections compared to older infants or adults. This feature is in part attributed to the immaturity of their immune system associated with a limited capacity to mount cellular-mediated immune responses. Congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is the most common cause of congenital infection worldwide and a major cause of hearing loss and mental retardation. In Belgium, antenatal screening of pregnant women for primary HCMV infection offers an opportunity to study neonatal immune responses to the virus and to compare them to those of their mother.

T lymphocytes are major players of the immune system. In particular, Th1 CD4+ T cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells play a crucial role in the control of intracellular pathogens, including HCMV infection. Previous literature has reported a limited capacity of infants born with congenital HCMV infection to mount HCMV-specific CD4+ T cell responses. In contrast, fetal antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses have been reported following in utero HCMV infection, but these responses have not been compared in detail to those of adults with primary infection. In addition, our knowledge regarding adult HCMV-specific T cell responses during primary HCMV infection is limited. Previous studies have reported defective T cell proliferation and IL-2 production in adults with primary HCMV infection, showing that some of the T cell functions are altered during primary infection.

In this study, we have characterized neonatal HCMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses from the cord blood of newborns with congenital HCMV infection, and we have compared these responses to that of their mothers diagnosed with primary HCMV infection during pregnancy. Also, we compared CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses of adults with primary HCMV infection to that of adults with chronic infection.

In newborns, it was not known if the defective CD4+ T cell responses could be attributed to the absence of HCMV-specific cells or to the induction of dysfunctional cells. We demonstrate that neonatal CD4+ T cells with a differentiation phenotype typical of HCMV infection (CD27-CD28-) and expressing a Th1 phenotype similar to that of maternal cells can differentiate in utero following HCMV infection. In addition, the detection of oligoclonal expansions by spectratyping and flow cytometry analyses strongly suggests antigen-specific responses. However, neonatal CD4+ T cells were markedly less able to produce antiviral cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α and MIP-1β) following ex vivo stimulation with HCMV antigens, compared to maternal cells. Also, neonatal CD27-CD28- CD4+ T cells produce lower levels of antiviral cytokines in response to polyclonal stimulations with anti-CD3 and PMA/ionomycin, suggesting alterations up-stream and down-stream of the TCR signaling pathway. Our results suggest that these alterations could involve the down-regulation of the expression of molecules that are part of the TCR signaling pathway. Similarly, we show that the function of

neonatal HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells is impaired compared to adults. Similar proportions of (CD27-CD28-) CD8+ T cells, typical of HCMV infection, were detected in newborns and adults. Analysis of the TCR Vβ repertoire of neonatal and maternal (CD27-CD28-) CD8+ T cells by high-throughput sequencing revealed a similar capacity to generate a diverse clonal repertoire. As previously reported, we detected similar frequencies of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells specific for the immunodominant viral antigen pp65. However, when extending ex vivo stimulations to other HCMV antigens, we observed that the antigenic repertoire recognized by these cells was significantly reduced in newborns. In addition, neonatal CD8+ T cells had a reduced polyfunctionality and per cell cytokine production.

To a lower extent, the function of adult HCMV-specific T cells was also impaired during primary infection. As previously reported, maternal HCMV-specific CD4+ T cells were markedly less able to produce IL-2 and to proliferate compared to individuals in the chronic stage of the disease. Both CD28+ and CD28- T cell subsets produced decreased levels of IL-2. This observation shows that the accumulation of HCMV-specific CD4+ T cells having lost the expression of the CD28 molecule (an important co-stimulatory signal for IL-2 production) during primary infection is only one of the factors contributing to the decreased IL-2 production. Accordingly, both CD28+ and CD28- CD4+ T cell subsets had a decreased per cell production of IFN-γ and TNF-α during primary HCMV infection. This defect was associated with a lower functional avidity of these cells. Similarly, the polyfunctionality and per cell cytokine production of adult HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells was also impaired compared to adults with chronic infection.

Altogether, our results show that adult and neonatal HCMV-specific T cell responses are impaired during primary infection, compared to individuals with chronic infection. We show that this functional regulation resembles that of functional T cell exhaustion observed during chronic viral infections that are associated with high levels of viral replication. Primary HCMV infection is characterized by an intense viral replication lasting for several months post-infection. We hypothesize that the high levels of viral replication observed during congenital and adult primary HCMV infection could interfere with some of the T cell functions.
Doctorat en Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Marsupials and eutherians are the two principal groups of modern mammals. Mammalian immunological studies, to date, have focused on eutherian systems with little or no comprehensive work having been carried out on marsupials. This project investigates the functional and developmental aspects of T-cell responses in the marsupial, Macropus eugenii (Tammar wallaby) in both adults and pouch young at various stages of development. Determination of the age at which the Tammar wallaby immune system becomes competent has been examined through the use of cellular and molecular studies carried out on developing pouch young tissue. The capacity for generating an immunological response in adult and pouch young marsupials has been studied by following cellular proliferation in response to mitogens or mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC). After examining adult responses to mitogens and allogenic lymphocytes, optimised conditions were then used to examine the development of responsiveness in pouch young. Several further tests were conducted and findings shown. The study has shown that the earliest age at which Macropus eugenii is capable of mounting a T-cell mediated immune response is between 5 to 13 days post-partum

Cybr (Cytohesin binder and regulator) is an adaptor protein involved in the assembly and recruitment of protein complexes associated with intracellular trafficking and signaling. Cybr has attracted attention as a potential key contributor to molecular mechanisms governing cells of the immune system due to its exclusive expression in cells of hematopoietic origin. Cybr interacts with members of the ADP ribosylation factor (ARF)-activating cytohesin family, mainly cytohesin-1, and it is involved in the cytohesin-1-mediated adhesion of LFA-1 to ICAM-1. Cybr expression is highly and rapidly responsive to, and regulated by, many cytokines and other soluble effectors of the immune system suggesting a potential functional role in the vesicle formation, endocytic trafficking, regulation of TCR signalling and regulation of dendritic cell (DC)/T cell interaction during the antigen presentation. To characterize the in vivo physiological role of this molecule, a Cybr-deficient mouse strain was created. Cybr deletion does not profoundly affect the development of the immune system, but Cybr-KO mice display a reduced or delayed capacity to respond to different stimuli and in stress conditions. This project aimed at investigating the biological function of Cybr in cell-mediated immune response to tumors induced by the retroviral complex constituted by the Moloney murine sarcoma virus/Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MSV/MuLV, hereafter indicated as M-MSV). Intramuscular injection of M-MSV in immunocompetent C57BL/6 (B6) mice causes sarcomas that spontaneously regress because of a strong immune reaction primarily mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for viral antigens. Conversely, Cybr-deficient mice injected with M-MSV developed larger tumors than B6 mice, which additionally regressed with a slower kinetics. To disclose the biological bases of this behavior, M-MSV-injected Cybr-deficient and wild type mice were characterized for the lymphocyte phenotype and function in tumors, lymph nodes and spleens at the peak of tumor growth (day 11 to 15). We found a reduced number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as of antigen-specific CTL, in the tumor infiltrating cells (TIL) of Cybr-deficient mice. However, this defect was recovered after a short temporal shift. Similarly, a three-day delay was also reported in the onset of lytic activity in Cybr-deficient respect to wild type CTLs. On the contrary, wild type or Cybr-deficient memory T cells from tumor regressor mice did not show any difference in terms of lytic activity. Overall, these data indicate that Cybr deficiency has a significant impact on the activation of naive T cells and expansion of primed T cells, but do not clarify whether Cybr mostly influence priming and/or cell adhesion or trafficking and migration of immune system cells. To address this issue, we transferred naive Cybr-KO or wild type GFP T cells in tumor-bearing RAG2-/- γc-/- mice, that lack T, B and NK cells and do not spontaneously regress M-MSV-induced tumors. Despite T cell transfer, tumors continued to growth indicating that transferred naive T cells were not able to mount a fully effective immune response in this setting. This was probably due to a suboptimal recruitment and priming phase in lymph nodes, that were found to be hypoplastic. To provide a mechanistic insight, reconstitution of nu/nu athymic B6 mice with T cell-depleted bone marrow from either wild type or Cybr-KO mice, followed by adoptive transfer of naive or memory T cells from Cybr-KO/GFP or B6/GFP animals, will provide the appropriate experimental set up to assess the role of Cybr in the APC or T cell compartments. Taken together, outlined results indicate that Cybr deficiency has a significant impact on antigen-specific immune response, but further studies have to be performed to fully dissect the role played by this molecule in the priming phase and in the delayed onset of lytic activity
Cybr (cytohesin binder and regulator) è una proteina adattatrice coinvolta nell’assemblaggio e nel reclutamento di complessi proteici associati con il trafficking intracellulare e la trasduzione del segnale. Grazie alla sua esclusiva espressione in cellule di origine ematopoietica, Cybr ha attirato l’attenzione come potenziale proteina chiave nei meccanismi molecolari che controllano le cellule del sistema immunitario. Cybr interagisce con i membri della famiglia delle citoesine attivanti gli ADP ribosylation factors (ARF), specialmente con citoesina-1, e regola l’adesione citoesina-1 mediata di LFA 1 a ICAM-1. La sua espressione è rapidamente regolata da molte citochine e da altri effettori solubili del sistema immunitario. Alcuni ruoli funzionali proposti per questa molecola sono la partecipazione nella formazione delle vescicole, nel trafficking endocitico, nella regolazione del signaling del TCR e nell’interazione tra cellule dendritiche e cellule T durante la presentazione dell’antigene. Al fine di caratterizzare il ruolo fisiologico di questa molecola in vivo, è stato creato un ceppo di topi deficienti per Cybr. Questi topi, nonostante un normale sviluppo del sistema immunitario, mostrano una ridotta o ritardata capacità di rispondere a diversi stimoli e in condizioni di stress. Questo progetto di ricerca si è prefisso di investigare la funzione biologica di Cybr nella risposta immunitaria cellulo-mediata nei confronti di tumori indotti dal complesso retrovirale costituito dai virus sarcomatogeno e leucemogeno murini di Moloney (M-MSV/MuLV, in seguito indicato come M-MSV). L’inoculo intramuscolare di M-MSV in topi C57BL/6 (B6) immunocompetenti causa lo sviluppo di sarcomi che regrediscono spontaneamente grazie ad una forte risposta immunitaria mediata principalmente da linfociti T citotossici (CTL) specifici per gli antigeni virali. Al contrario, topi Cybr-deficienti inoculati con M-MSV sviluppano tumori di dimensioni maggiori e che regrediscono più lentamente rispetto ai controlli. Per comprendere i motivi di questo diverso andamento, dopo l’inoculo del complesso retrovirale in topi Cybr-deficienti e wild type, sono stati caratterizzati a livello fenotipico e funzionale i linfociti presenti nei tumori, nei linfonodi drenanti e nelle milze al momento della massima crescita tumorale (giorni 11-15). Abbiamo riscontrato un ridotto numero di linfociti T CD4+ e CD8+ e di CTL antigene specifici nella popolazione infiltrante il tumore nei topi Cybr-deficienti. Tuttavia questa differenza si è ridotta alla fine del periodo analizzato. Inoltre, un ritardo simile è stato riportato nello sviluppo dell’attività litica nei CTL provenienti da topi Cybr-KO rispetto a topi wild type. Al contrario, linfociti T memoria wild type e Cybr-KO non hanno mostrato nessuna differenza in termini di attività litica. Complessivamente, questi dati indicano che la deficienza di Cybr ha un significativo impatto nell’attivazione delle cellule T naive e nella loro espansione dopo il priming, ma non definiscono se questa proteina influenzi maggiormente la fase di priming e/o adesione cellulare o il trafficking e la migrazione delle cellule del sistema immunitario. Per chiarire questi aspetti, sono stati trasferiti linfociti T naive provenienti da topi Cybr-KO/GFP o B6/GFP in topi RAG2-/-γc-/- inoculati con il complesso retrovirale. Questi topi mancano di cellule T, B e NK e non regrediscono spontaneamente i tumori M-MSV indotti. Nonostante l’infusione di cellule T, i tumori hanno continuato a crescere, indicando che le cellule T naive non sono state in grado di montare una risposta immune pienamente efficace in questo modello, un aspetto probabilmente dovuto ad un reclutamento e priming sub ottimali nei linfonodi, che sono risultati ipoplastici. Al fine di rispondere a questi quesiti biologici, topi B6 nu/nu atimici ricostituiti con tessuto midollare depleto di linfociti T provenienti da topi wild type o Cybr-KO e successivamente infusi con linfociti T naive o memoria provenienti da topi Cybr-KO/GFP o B6/GFP, dovrebbero costituire un modello sperimentale ottimale per investigare il ruolo di Cybr sia nel comparto T che nel comparto APC. Nell’insieme, i risultati ottenuti indicano che la deficienza di Cybr ha un significativo impatto nella risposta immune antigene-specifica, ma studi addizionali devono essere condotti al fine di definire con maggior precisione il ruolo di Cybr nella fase di priming e nel ritardo dello sviluppo dell’attività litica

AbstractChemotherapy has been the backbone for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RMNPC), which remains an incurable disease. Currently the most active area of therapeutic investigations in RMNPC is in immunotherapy, especially after the results of five anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibodies, i.e. pembrolizumab, nivolumab, camrelizumab, toripalimab and tislelizumab, have demonstrated monotherapy objective response rates of 21%–43%. Combinations using anti-PD1/L1 antibodies as backbone to evaluate their additivity or synergy with cytotoxic chemotherapy, molecularly targeted agents, or other immuno-oncology compounds are actively being developed. Besides immune checkpoint blockade, additional ways to modulate the host immune system, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-directed vaccination against viral antigens (such as EBNA1, LMP1, LMP2) with dendritic cells or peptides, adoptive cell transfer of autologous or HLA-matched allogeneic EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CAR or TCR T-cell therapy, personalized cancer vaccines and oncolytic viruses are being explored. Finally, novel molecularly targeted agents that have entered human testing in RMNPC include apatinib and anlotinib (antiangiogenic agents), MAK683 (an embryonic ectoderm development or EED protein inhibitor), among others. This review provides an update of ongoing clinical trials evaluating these new compounds in RMNPC.

AbstractEven after a decade of use, CAR-T cell therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is still evolving, and disease control is now the main concern in the majority of experienced centres. Indeed, despite highly appealing objective response (OR) rates in refractory patients, the long-term overall survival (OS) of this population has only slightly improved. Pivotal studies have suggested that 2-year OS rates do not surpass 30%, even though results improve when complete response (CR) is achieved within the first 3 months after treatment (Wang et al. 2020; Schuster et al. 2019; Neelapu et al. 2017). Although achieving this exceptionally high level of OR is praiseworthy, similar improvements have not been made regarding OS, and current OS probabilities are not satisfactory. Of course, there are multiple reasons for this; a substantial proportion of patients either do not achieve an initial response or experience progression very soon after treatment, with poor OS (Chow et al. 2019). Both populations present with disease burden or aggressive cancer prior to CAR-T cell therapy, possibly having been referred too late in the course of treatment or waited too long before CAR-T cells were processed for them. Both of these issues have potential solutions, such as more widely publicizing the efficacy of CAR-T cells, which may increase referrals at an earlier stage, and developing methods, which are already being heavily investigated, for shortening the manufacturing process (Rafiq et al. 2020). In the latter case, the use of allogeneic lymphocytes could allow for already prepared cells to be readily used when needed and would most likely be the most efficient strategy as long as the risk of graft-versus host disease is offset (Graham and Jozwik 2018). Thus, achieving CR is a crucial step in increasing OS, as patients with partial response (PR) or stable disease (SD) present with lower OS, while currently, recurrence appears to be rare when CR is maintained for more than 6 months (Komanduri 2021). However, the disease will likely recur in more than half of patients in the months following treatment, possibly due to issues such as the poor persistence of CAR-T cells (which may not be as crucial as once thought for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Komanduri 2021)) or the loss of target antigen expression (which has been regularly documented (Rafiq et al. 2020)). Both of these mechanisms could potentially be used to develop methods that reduce recurrence after CAR-T cell therapy. In fact, the most popular approaches currently being investigated are attempting to either use two CAR-T cell types that each target different antigens or to create CAR-T cell constructs that target either multiple antigens or an antigen other than CD19 (Shah et al. 2020). The concomitant infusion of CAR-T cells with targeted therapies is also being explored in other B-cell malignancies and appears to both increase the CR rate and decrease recurrence (Gauthier et al. 2020). When recurrence does occur, patient OS is rather dismal, and the best remaining option would most likely be inclusion in a clinical trial. If this option is not available, salvage therapy may be attempted, although cytotoxic treatments are extremely limited given that most diseases have been refractory to numerous lines of treatment prior to immunotherapy. A few case reports and studies with a small patient population receiving anti-PD-1 antibodies, ibrutinib, or ImiDs have been reported with largely anecdotal supporting evidence (Byrne et al. 2019). However, even in the case of a new objective response (OR), the subsequent risk of recurrence is substantial and may invite further consolidation with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Byrne et al. 2019), which has already been performed in patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Hay et al. 2019). However, the efficacy of this strategy remains to be validated in NHL patients in clinical trials. Further supporting evidence, although limited, has recently been reported concerning an additional treatment with CAR-T cells inducing an OR. Of the 21 NHL patients included in the study, the OR rate after the second infusion was 52% (CR, n = 4; PR, n = 7), with some durable responses inviting further investigations (Gauthier et al. 2021). Overall, with such poor outcomes after recurrence, current efforts are also focused on predicting the patients most likely to experience disease progression and that are potential candidates for preemptive consolidation therapy, although there is no doubt that patients who do not achieve a rapid CR should be the first candidates. Additionally, immune monitoring should encompass not only CAR-T cell survival but also the detection of circulating tumour DNA (Komanduri 2021) because this could aid in detecting subclinical recurrence and in deciding whether consolidation or maintenance therapy should be administered. However, currently, all these approaches are highly speculative and require further clinical study.

The moderate and periodic practice of physical exercise promotes cell protection against viral infection due the balance between cellular immune response, determined directly by T lymphocytes, and humoral cells in which specific antibodies participate, produced by mature B lymphocytes. The countries members of the United Nations Organization (UNO) approved the Aging International Action Plan (AIAP) where are proposed strategies to support the prevention of mental disorders, the treatment of aged illness, as well the strengthening of a care network and support to aged people with the participation of the family, volunteers, and community. Following the UNO tendency, Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ governance started the 60+ health project developed by the superintendence of the Elderly's Rights under to the active and healthy aging for promotion of an active lifestyle to aged population. Given the above, the study goal was to verify the effectiveness of physical exercises proposed virtually on the individual lifestyle of aged people. 458 individuals of both sexes, with age above 60 years were introduced in the study. 356 aged people participated in the physical exercises program, and 102 non-participated in the virtual activities. As a data collection device was used the Individual lifestyle profile questionnaire known as wellness pentacle, a conceptual basis for the evaluation of lifestyle of individuals or groups. Videos with physical exercises proposed were uploading to the Youtube platform, and also directly sent to aged people on social isolation imposed by COVID-19, from app messages. In front of the found results, it is possible to claim that the practice of physical activity with online guidance and prescription impacted positively in the aged people's quality of life inserted on 60+ health project making evident the importance of physical activity practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

YST-сells role in inflammatory bowel disease is still not fully investigated: on the one hand, they are thought to be involved in dysregulation of the immune response to gastrointestinal commensal bacteria in genetically susceptible individuals and, on the other hand, YST-cells may initiate repair of damaged intestinal epithelium and exhibit immunoreg-ulatory effects. The composition of T-lymphocytes subsets (авТ-cells, YST-cells) and the expression of functional molecules (TLR4+, CD314+, CD8+, CD45RO+) on circulating YST-cells in patients with inflammatory bowel disease were characterized in this study. An increase of YST-cells numbers predominantly expressing a cytotoxic phenotype along with a depletion of YST-cells memory population in peripheral blood of patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis has been shown, what may reflect impaired tolerance mechanisms and results from chronic stimulation to autoantigens.

The goal of this proposal was to identify proteins of BLV recognized by lymphocyte subpopulations and determine the contribution of these proteins to viral pathogenesis. Our hypothesis was that BLV pathogenesis is governed by the T-cell response and that the immune system likely plays an important role in controlling the utcome of infection. Our studies presented in ths final report demonstrate that T cell competency declines with advancing stages of infection. Dramatic differences were observed in lymphocyte proliferation to recombinant proteins encoded by BLV gag (p12, p15, and p24) and env (gp30 and gp15) genes in different disease stages. Because retroviruses are known to mutate frequently, examinatin of infected cattle from both Israel and the United States will likely detect variability in the immune response. This combined research approach provides the first opportunity to selectively address the importance of T-cell proliferation to BLV proteins and cytokines produced during different stages of BLV infection. Lack of this information regarding BLV infection has hindered understanding lympocyte regulation of BLV pathogenesis. We have developed the essential reagents necessary to determine the prominence of different lymphocyte subpopulations and cytokines produced during the different disease stages within the natural host. We found that type 1 cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-g) increased in PBMCs from animals in early disease, and decreasd in PBMCs from animals in late disease stages of BLV infection, while IL-10, increased with disease progression. Recently, a dichotomy between IL-12 and IL-10 has emerged in regards to progression of a variety of diseases. IL-12 activates type 1 cytokine production and has an antagonistic effect on type 2 cytokines. Here, using quantitative competitive PCR, we show that peripheral blood mononuclear cells from bovine leukemia virus infected animals in the alymphocytotic disease stage express increased amount of IL-12 p40 mRNA. In contrast, IL-12 p40 mRNA expression by PL animals was significantly decreased compared to normal and alymphocytotic animals. To examine the functions of these cytokines on BLV expression, BLV tax and pol mRNA expression and p24 protein production were quantified by competitive PCR, and by immunoblotting, respectively. IL-10 inhibited BLV tax and pol mRNA expression by BLV-infected PBMCs. In addition, we determined that macrophages secret soluble factor(s) that activate BLV expression, and that secretion of the soluble factor(s) could be inhibited by IL-10. In contrast, IL-2 increased BLV tax and pol mRNA, and p24 protein production. These findings suggest that macrophages have a key role in regulating BLV expression, and IL-10 produced by BLV-infected animals in late disease stages may serve to control BLV expression, while IL-2 in the early stage of disease may activate BLV expression. PGE2 is an important immune regulator produced only by macrophages, and is known to facilitate HIV replication. We hypothesized that PGE2 may regulate BLV expression. Here, we show that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA expression was decreased in PBMCs treated with IL-10, while IL-2 enhanced COX-2 mRNA expression. In contrast, addition of PGE2 stimulated BLV tax and pol mRNA expression. In addition, the specific COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398, inhibited BLV expression, while addition of PGE2 increased BLV tax expression regardless of NS-398. These findings suggest that macrophage derived cyclooxygenase -2 products, such as PGE2, may regulate virus expression and disease rogression in BLV infection, and that cytokines (IL-2 and IL-10) may regulate BLV expression through PGE2 production.

The goal of the one-year feasibility study was to identify specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes to Neosporacaninum in the natural bovine host in order to make progress toward developing an effective peptide-based vaccine against bovine neosporosis. We tested the hypothesis that: N. caninum SRS2 peptides contain immunogenicCTLepitope clusters cross-presented by multiple bovine MHC-I and MHC-IIhaplotypes. The specific objectives were: (1) Map bovine CTLepitopes of N. caninum NcSRS-2 and identify consensus MHC-I and class-II binding motifs; and (2) Determine if subunit immunization with peptides containing N. caninum-specificCTLepitopes cross-reactive to multiple bovine MHChaplotypes induces a CTL response in cattle with disparate MHChaplotypes. Neosporosis is a major cause of infectious abortion and congenital disease in cattle, persisting in cattle herds via vertical transmission.5 N. caninum abortions are reported in Israel; a serological survey of 52 Israeli dairy herds with reported abortions indicated a 31% infection rate in cows and 16% infection rate in aborted fetuses.9,14 Broad economic loss due to bovine neosporosis is estimated at $35,000,000 per year in California, USA, and $100,000,000 (Australian) per year in Australia and New Zealand.13 Per herd losses in a Canadian herd of 50 cattle are estimated more conservatively at $2,305 (Canadian) annually.4 Up to date practical measures to reduce losses from neosporosis in cattle have not been achieved. There is no chemotherapy available and, although progress has been made toward understanding immunity to Neospora infections, no efficacious vaccine is available to limit outbreaks or prevent abortions. Vaccine development to prevent N. caninum abortion and congenital infection remains a high research priority. To this end, our research group has over the past decade: 1) Identified the importance of T-lymphocyte-mediated immunity, particularly IFN-γ responses, as necessary for immune protection to congenital neosporosis in mice,1,2,10,11 and 2) Identified MHC class II restricted CD4+ CTL in Neosporainfected Holstein cattle,16 and 3) Identified NcSRS2 as a highly conserved surface protein associated with immunity to Neospora infections in mice and cattle.7,8,15 In this BARD-funded 12 month feasibility study, we continued our study of Neospora immunity in cattle and successfully completed T-lymphocyte epitope mapping of NcSRS2 surface protein with peptides and bovine immune cells,15 fulfilling objective 1. We also documented the importance of immune responses NcSRS2 by showing that immunization with native NcSRS2 reduces congenital Neospora transmission in mice,7 and that antibodies to NcSRS2 specifically inhibition invasion of placental trophoblasts.8 Most importantly we showed that T-lymphocyte responses similar to parasite infection, namely induction of activated IFN-γ secreting Tlymphocytes, could be induced by subunit immunization with NcSRS2 peptides containing the Neospora-specificCTLepitopes (Baszler et al, In preparation) fulfilling objective 2. Both DNA and peptide-based subunit approaches were tested. Only lipopeptide-based NcSRS2 subunits, modified with N-terminal linked palmitic acid to enhance Toll-like receptors 2 and 1 (TLR2-TLR1), stimulated robust antigen-specific T-lymphocyte proliferation, IFN-γ secretion, and serum antibody production across different MHC-IIhaplotypes. The discovery of MHC-II cross-reactive T-cellinducing parasite peptides capable of inducing a potentially protective immune response following subunit immunization in cattle is of significant practical importance to vaccine development to bovine neosporosis. In addition, our findings are more widely applicable in future investigations of protective T-cell, subunit-based immunity against other infectious diseases in outbred cattle populations.

The BARD project was a continuation of a previous BARD funded research project. It was aimed at characterization of the 12kDa immunodominant protein and subsequently the cloning and expression of the gene in E. coli. Additional immunodominant proteins were sought among genomic B. abortus expression library clones using T-lymphocyte proliferation assay as a screening method. The 12kDa protein was identified as the L7/L12 ribosomal protein demonstrating in the first time the role a structural protein may play in the development of the host's immunity against the organism. The gene was cloned from B. abortus (USA) and B. melitensis (Israel) showing identity of the oligonucleotide sequence between the two species. Further subcloning allowed expression of the protein in E. coli. While the native protein was shown to have DTH antigenicity its recombinant analog lacked this activity. In contrast the two proteins elicited lymphocyte proliferation in experimental murine brucellosis. CD4+ cells of the Th1 subset predominantly responded to this protein demonstrating the development of protective immunity (g-IFN, and IL-2) in the host. Similar results were obtained with bovine Brucella primed lymphocytes. UvrA, GroE1 and GroEs were additional Brucella immunodominant proteins that demonstrated MHC class II antigenicity. The role cytotoxic cells are playing in the clearance of brucella cells was shown using knock out mice defective either in their CD4+ or CD8+ cells. CD4+ defective mice were able to clear brucella as fast as did normal mice. In contrast mice which were defective in their CD8+ cells could not clear the organisms effectively proving the importance of this subtype cell line in development of protective immunity. The understanding of the host's immune response and the expansion of the panel of Brucella immunodominant proteins opened new avenues in vaccine design. It is now feasible to selectively use immunodominant proteins either as subunit vaccine to fortify immunity of older animals or as diagnostic reagents for the serological survaillance.

Staphylococci are the most common and costly mammary disease of dairy cattle worldwide. TRAP, a membrane associated 167AA protein, is highly conserved among staphylococci. The aims of this study were to test the safety and efficacy of recombinant TRAP (rTRAP) vaccine in dairy animals. The vaccine was safe as 2-3 subcutaneous injections of rTRAP (54–100μg) with adjuvant ISA 206 to cows and goats did not lead to any abnormal symptoms of sensitivity to the vaccine. The rTRAP vaccine was immunogenic and caused the induction of a humoral immune response that remained high for at least 160 days post second immunization. rTRAP vaccine also elicited a cell-mediated immune response (memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells), as determined by lymphocyte proliferation assays. The rTRAP vaccine was efficacious as at parturition, only 13.5% heifers in the immunized group were infected with Staphylococcus chromogenes as compared to 42.9% in the non immunized group. Additionally, when cows were immunized in mid-lactation, the difference between somatic cell count (SCC) in immunized and control animals was profound (45±7 vs. 470±194, respectively). At the same time, the difference in milk yield was also evident (48.3±1.4 vs. 44.3±0.9 l/day, respectively). Put together, these studies indicate the value of the rTRAP vaccine in preventing new udder infections by staphylococci, which significantly lead to lowered SCC and some increase in milk yield. TRAP is conserved among all strains and species and is constitutively expressed in any strain of S. aureus or CNS tested so far, including those isolated from cows. TRAP may thus serve as a universal anti-staphylococcus vaccine.

Staphylococci are the most common and costly mammary disease of dairy cattle worldwide. TRAP, a membrane associated 167AA protein, is highly conserved among staphylococci. The aims of this study were to test the safety and efficacy of recombinant TRAP (rTRAP) vaccine in dairy animals. The vaccine was safe as 2-3 subcutaneous injections of rTRAP (54–100μg) with adjuvant ISA 206 to cows and goats did not lead to any abnormal symptoms of sensitivity to the vaccine. The rTRAP vaccine was immunogenic and caused the induction of a humoral immune response that remained high for at least 160 days post second immunization. rTRAP vaccine also elicited a cell-mediated immune response (memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells), as determined by lymphocyte proliferation assays. The rTRAP vaccine was efficacious as at parturition, only 13.5% heifers in the immunized group were infected with Staphylococcus chromogenes as compared to 42.9% in the non immunized group. Additionally, when cows were immunized in mid-lactation, the difference between somatic cell count (SCC) in immunized and control animals was profound (45±7 vs. 470±194, respectively). At the same time, the difference in milk yield was also evident (48.3±1.4 vs. 44.3±0.9 l/day, respectively). Put together, these studies indicate the value of the rTRAP vaccine in preventing new udder infections by staphylococci, which significantly lead to lowered SCC and some increase in milk yield. TRAP is conserved among all strains and species and is constitutively expressed in any strain of S. aureus or CNS tested so far, including those isolated from cows. TRAP may thus serve as a universal anti-staphylococcus vaccine.

Bovine babesiosis caused by Babesia bovis continues to be a significant deterrent to global livestock production. Current control methods have both biological and technical drawbacks that have stimulated research on improved methods of vaccination. This BARD project has focused on characterization of candidate Babesia bovis vaccine antigens located in the apical complex, a unique group of subcellular organelles - including rhoptries, micronemes, and spherical bodies - involved in the invation of erythrocytes. Spherical bodies and rhoptries were partially purified and their contents characterized using monoclonal antibodies. Existing and newly developed monoclonal antibodies bound to antigens in the spherical body, rhoptry, merozoite membrane, and infected erythrocyte membrane. In an initial immunization study using biologically cloned strains, it was demonstrated that strain-common epitopes are important for inducing immune protection against heterologous challenge. Rhoptry-associated antigen 1 (RAP-1) had been demonstrated previously to induce partial immune protection, fulfilled criteria of broad interstrain B and T cell epitope conservation, and thus was further characterized. The RAP-1 gene family consists of at least two gene copies, is homologous to the RAP-1 gene family in B. bigemina, and contains significant sequence similarity to other erythroparasitic protozoan candidate vaccine antigens, including the apical membrane antigen of Plasmodium falciparum. A new RAP-1 monoclonal antibody was developed that inhibits merozoite growth in vitro, demonstrating the presence of a RAP-1 neutralization sensitive domain. Based on these observations, cattle were immunized with Mo7 (Mexico) strain recombinant RAP-1 representing one of the two gene copies. All cattle responded with variable levels of serum antibodies inhibitory to heterologous Israel strain merozoite growth in vitro, and RAP-1 specific T lymphocytes that proliferated when stimulated with either homologous or heterologous native parasite antigen. Minimal protection from clinical disease was present after virulent Israel (heterologous) strain B. bovis challenge. In total, the results support the continued development of RAP-1 as a vaccine antigen, but indicate that additional information about the native structure and function of both RAP-1 gene copies, including the relationship of conserved and polymorphic sequences to B and T cell lepitopes relevant for protection, is necessary for optimization of RAP-1 as a vaccine component.

Previous research and current efforts at control of babesiosis fall short of meeting the needs of countries where the disease is endemic, such as Israel, as well as the needs of exporting countries and countries bordering on endemic areas, such as the U.S. Our long-term goal is to develop improved methods of immunization against bovine babesiosis based on an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of immune protection and parasite targets of a protective immune response. In our previous BARD project, we established the basis for focusing on rhoptry antigens as components of a subunit vaccine against bovine babesiosis, and for additional research to better characterize rhoptry associated protein-1 (RAP-1) as a target of protective immunity. In this continuation BARD project, our objectives were to [1] optimize the immune response against RAP-1, and [2] identify additional rhoptry candidate vaccine antigens. The entire locus encoding B. bovis RAP-1 was sequenced, and the rap-1 open reading frame compared among several strains. Unlike B. bigemina, in which multiple gene copies with variant domains encode RAP-1, the B. bovis RAP-1 locus contains only two identical genes which are conserved among strains. Through testing of multiple truncated constructs of rRAP-1, one or more immunodominant T cell epitopes were mapped to the amino terminal half of RAP-1. At least one linear and one conformational B cell epitope have been demonstrated in the same amino terminal construct, which in B. bigemina RAP-1 also contains an epitope recognized by neutralizing antibody. The amine terminal half of the molecule represents the most highly conserved part of the gene family and contains motifs conserved broadly among the apicomplexa. In contrast, the carboxy terminal half of B. bovis RAP-1 is less well conserved and contains multiple repeats encoding a linear B cell epitope potentially capable of inducing an ineffective, T cell independent, type 2 immune response. Therefore, we are testing an amino terminal fragment of RAP-1 (RAP-1N) in an immunization trial in cattle. Cattle have beer immunized with RAP-1N or control antigen, and IL-12 with Ribi adjuvant. Evaluation of the immune response is ongoing, and challenge with virulent B. bovis will occur in the near future. While no new rhoptry antigens were identified, our studies did identify and characterize a new spherical body antigen (SBP3), and several heat shock proteins (HSP's). The SBP3 and HSP21 antigens stimulate T cells from immune cattle and are considered new vaccine candidates worthy of further testing. Overall, we conclude that a single RAP-1 vaccine construct representing the conserved amino terminal region of the molecule should be sufficient for immunization against all strains of B. bovis. While results of the ongoing immunization trial will direct our next research steps, results at this time are consistent with our long term goal of designing a subunit vaccine which contains only the epitopes relevant to induction of protective immunity. Parallel studies are defining the mechanisms of protective immunity. Apicomplexan protozoa, including babesiosis and malaria, cause persistent diseases for which control is inadequate. The apical organelles are defining features of these complex protozoa, and have been conserved through the evolutionary process, Past and current BARD projects on babesiosis have established the validity and potential of exploiting these conserved organelles in developing improved control methods applicable to all apicomplexan diseases.