Publication

Selective responsiveness to common gamma chain cytokines in peripheral blood-derived cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by Melan-A/MART-1(27-35)targeted active specific immunotherapy

Journal Paper/Review - Jun 10, 2005

Units
PubMed
Doi

Citation
von Holzen U, Heberer M, Oertli D, Marti W, Schumacher R, Feder C, Reschner A, Groeper C, Zajac P, Weber W, Bolli M, Adamina M, Spagnoli G. Selective responsiveness to common gamma chain cytokines in peripheral blood-derived cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by Melan-A/MART-1(27-35)targeted active specific immunotherapy. Int J Cancer 2005; 115:248-55.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
Int J Cancer 2005; 115
Publication Date
Jun 10, 2005
Issn Print
0020-7136
Pages
248-55
Brief description/objective

We have comparatively evaluated the proliferative response of CTL induced in metastatic melanoma patients upon immunization against Melan-A/MART-1(27-35) tumor associated antigen (TAA) to IL-2, IL-7 or IL-15 cytokines, sharing a receptor common gamma-chain (c gamma-c cytokines). Twenty-eight CTL clones were generated from CD8+ T cells obtained from 3 patients during the contraction phase of immune response following a successful vaccine mediated expansion of specific effectors. All clones were able to kill tumor cell lines expressing HLA-A0201 and Melan-A/MART-1, and displayed phenotypic characteristics of effector/memory (CD45RA-/CCR7-) or CD45RA+/CCR7- effector cells in intermediate to late developmental stage (CD28-/CD276+/-) CTL. Proliferative responses could be elicited or enhanced by IL-2 and IL-15, but not IL-7, in the absence or in the presence of T-cell receptor (TCR) triggering, respectively. Accordingly, only IL-2 and IL-15 were able to promote the survival of the CTL clones under investigation. While all clones expressed high amounts of receptor c gamma-c (CD132), lower, but detectable, expression of IL-7 receptor alpha chain was also observed. CD8+ cells from one of the patients treated were obtained 6 months after the last vaccine boost and were cultured in the presence of Melan-A/MART-1(27-35) and each of the 3 cytokines under investigation. Consistent with data from CTL clones, expansion of Melan-A/MART-1(27-35) tetramer positive cells was only observed in the presence of IL-2 or IL-15 but not IL-7. Instead, when CD8+ cells from the same patient were sampled shortly (14 days) after an additional vaccination only IL-2 was able to promote the expansion of Melan-A/MART-1(27-35) tetramer positive cells. Taken together these data suggest a selective responsiveness of TAA-specific CTL to different c gamma-c cytokines.