Project description:Talactoferrin alfa (TLF) is a unique recombinant version of human lactoferrin, an important immunomodulatory protein present in exocrine secretions and in the secondary granules of neutrophils. Talactoferrin has demonstrated anti-cancer activity in preclinical studies and in Phase III clinical trials in patients with Renal Cell Cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. We have shown that TLF induces the maturation of human DCs derived from monocytes, suggesting that the linkage of the innate and adaptive immunity through DC maturation is a key immune function mediated by TLF. In this study we used genome-wide expression analysis to explore the mechanisms by which TLF leads to the functional maturation of DC. We show that GMP level recombinant TLF activates human DCs in a Toll-like receptor (TLR) -2 and -4 dependent manner. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from buffy coats of healthy donors. CD14+ cells were isolated from fresh PBMCs by positive immunoselection with magnetic beads. Immature dendritic cells (i-DC) from four donors were generated using granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-4. On day 6, cells were harvested in order to have iDC or mDC (conventionally matured DC) by addition of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) -alfa and IL-1beta or TLF-DC (Talactoferrin matured DC) adding Food and Drug Administration-approved, GMP level recombinant TLF generated in eukaryotic cells. After 24 hour culture, cells were harvested and analyzed with Illumina arrays.
Project description:Talactoferrin alfa (TLF) is a unique recombinant version of human lactoferrin, an important immunomodulatory protein present in exocrine secretions and in the secondary granules of neutrophils. Talactoferrin has demonstrated anti-cancer activity in preclinical studies and in Phase III clinical trials in patients with Renal Cell Cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. We have shown that TLF induces the maturation of human DCs derived from monocytes, suggesting that the linkage of the innate and adaptive immunity through DC maturation is a key immune function mediated by TLF. In this study we used genome-wide expression analysis to explore the mechanisms by which TLF leads to the functional maturation of DC. We show that GMP level recombinant TLF activates human DCs in a Toll-like receptor (TLR) -2 and -4 dependent manner.
Project description:Many successful vaccines induce persistent antibody responses that can last a lifetime. The mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear, but emerging evidence suggests that activate dendritic cells (DCs) via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). For example, the yellow fever vaccine YF-17D, one of the most successful empiric vaccines ever developed, activates DCs via multiple TLRs to stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. Triggering specific combinations of TLRs in DCs can induce synergistic production of cytokines, which results in enhanced T cell responses, but its impact on antibody responses remain unknown. Learning the critical parameters of innate immunity that programs such antibody responses remains a major challenge in vaccinology. We demonstrated that immunization of mice with synthetic nanoparticles containing antigens plus Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands 4 (MPL) + 7 (R837) induces synergistic increases in antigen-specific, neutralizing antibodies compared to immunization with a single TLR ligand. To determine whether there was any early programming of B cells, we isolated isotype switched, TCRbeta-CD11b-CD19+IgD-IgG+ B cells by FACS at 7 days post immunization with nanoparticles containing various adjuvants plus OVA, and performed microarray analyses to assess their molecular signatures. Two independent sets of samples at day 7 post-treatment were used in our analyses. Each set is comprised by B-cells from mice treated with MPL + R837 or from those treated with either individual MPL or R837 alone.
Project description:Many successful vaccines induce persistent antibody responses that can last a lifetime. The mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear, but emerging evidence suggests that activate dendritic cells (DCs) via Toll-like receptors (TLRs). For example, the yellow fever vaccine YF-17D, one of the most successful empiric vaccines ever developed, activates DCs via multiple TLRs to stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. Triggering specific combinations of TLRs in DCs can induce synergistic production of cytokines, which results in enhanced T cell responses, but its impact on antibody responses remain unknown. Learning the critical parameters of innate immunity that programs such antibody responses remains a major challenge in vaccinology. We demonstrated that immunization of mice with synthetic nanoparticles containing antigens plus Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands 4 (MPL) + 7 (R837) induces synergistic increases in antigen-specific, neutralizing antibodies compared to immunization with a single TLR ligand. To determine whether there was any early programming of B cells, we isolated isotype switched, TCRbeta-CD11b-CD19+IgD-IgG+ B cells by FACS at 7 days post immunization with nanoparticles containing various adjuvants plus OVA, and performed microarray analyses to assess their molecular signatures.
Project description:Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a rare type of dendritic cells that exist antiviral functions in response to toll-like receptors (TLRs). We here report TLR4 activated pDCs similar to TLR7/8 stimulation. Despite the high resemblance, we found the unique genes that were activated by TLR4 activation.
Project description:Dendritic cells (DCs) are pivotal for both recognition of antigens and control of an array of immune responses by recognizing microbes through distinct pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). The first microbial component to be studied in detail and known to cause septic shock is endotoxin (LPS). DCs recognize LPS via Toll-like receptor TLR-47. LPS causes many changes in the DCs, but the elicitation of cytokine production is perhaps the one with clear biologic relevance. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying regulation of TLR 4 signaling and identified the upregulated and downregulated genes in response to LPS treatment in mouse dendritic cells. We use microarray to determine the conserved hematopoietic miRNAs to study their potential contribution to regulating many different immunological cellular processes and contexts. To obtain overall gene expression profile, we extracted bone marrow cells from at least 3 mice for each experiment. Purified ( 97~98% purity) mouse dendritic cells, treated with LPS or control diluent, were used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. To obtain overall miRNA expression profile, we extracted bone marrow cells from at least 3 mice (C57BL/6) for each experiment. Purified ( 97~98% purity for CD11C+ ) mouse dendritic cells were used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Exiqon miRCURY LNATM microRNA array.
Project description:Toll-like receptors are proteins that play an important role in the innate immune system. They are frequently detected in immune cells such as macrophages or dendritic cells. Their role has been in part studied in prostate cancer. However, in the present study we focus mostly on their functional significance at various types of cancer therapy resistance.