C1q, the first component of the classical complement pathway, is also a pattern recognition receptor involved in the recognition and clearance of apoptotic cells. C1q deficiency in humans leads to development of lupus-like autoimmune disease, and it has been speculated that impaired clearance of apoptotic cells may contribute to disease development. Since phagocytes initiate specific and appropriate immune responses as a result of initial ligand-receptor interactions, regulation of gene expression by C1q may also contribute to the sculpting of an immune response to the ingested “self-Ags.” In this study, the role of C1q in apoptotic cell clearance and subsequent modulation of cytokine release by phagocytes was assessed including donor matched human monocytes, monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs), and dendritic cells (DCs). First, C1q binding is much greater to late compared with early apoptotic cells. Second, C1q binding to apoptotic cells significantly enhanced the levels of ingestion by monocytes but had no effect on HMDM and DC uptake. Third, in the presence of serum, C1q bound to apoptotic cells, activated the complement pathway, leading to C3b deposition, and enhancement of uptake of apoptotic cells by monocytes, HMDMs, and DCs. Finally, although C1q, either immobilized on a plate or bound to apoptotic cells, modulates the LPS-induced cytokine levels released by human monocytes, HMDMs, and DCs toward a more limited immune response, both the degree and direction of modulation differed significantly depending on the differentiation state of the phagocyte, providing further evidence of the integration of these cell- and environment-specific signals in determining appropriate immune responses.

Purpose: Cancer diagnosis and treatment imparts chronic stressors affecting quality of life (QOL) and basic physiology. However, the capacity to increase survival by improving QOL is controversial. Patients with cervical cancer, in particular, have severely compromised QOL, providing a population well-suited for the evaluation of novel psychosocial interventions and the exploration of mechanisms by which modulation of the psychoneuroimmune axis might result in improved clinical outcomes. Experimental Design: A randomized clinical trial was conducted in cervical cancer survivors that were enrolled at z13 and <22 months after diagnosis (n = 50), comparing a unique psychosocial telephone counseling (PTC) intervention to usual care. QOL and biological specimens (saliva and blood) were collected at baseline and 4 months post-enrollment. Results: The PTC intervention yielded significantly improved QOL (P = 0.011). Changes in QOL were significantly associated with a shift of immune systemT helper type 1and 2 (Th1/Th2) bias, as measured by IFN-g/interleukin-5 ELISpot T lymphocyte precursor frequency; improved QOL being associated with increasedTh1bias (P = 0.012). Serum interleukin-10 and the neuroendocrine variables of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone revealed trends supporting this shift in immunologic stance and suggested a PTC-mediated decrease of the subject's chronic stress response. Conclusions: This study documents the utility of a unique PTC intervention and an association between changes in QOL and adaptive immunity (T helper class).These data support the integration of the chronic stress response into biobehavioral models of cancer survivorship and suggests a novel mechanistic hypotheses by which interventions leading to enhanced QOL could result in improved clinical outcome including survival.The association between cancer patient survival and performance status at diagnosis, i.e., baseline quality of life (QOL), is well documented. Patient-reported outcomes, broadly addressed as QOL variables, are now integral components of cancer clinical trials (1) and highlight opportunities for psychosocial interventions to improve these outcomes for patients with cancer. Whether effective psychosocial interventions improve both patient QOL and survival remains controversial (2 -10). Nevertheless, any potential cancerspecific survival benefit implies improved control of occult micrometastatic disease (11) and the immune system is a prime candidate effector for this biological antitumor activity. The recognition of cross-talk between neurologic, neuroendocrine, and immune systems has given rise to the concept of psychoneuroimmunology, the psychoneuroimmune axis, and the so-called ''mind-body '' connection (5, 12 -15). This conceptual framework provides a foundation for biobehavioral paradigms (16 -18) and for the postulation of potential mechanisms by which a psychosocial intervention might influence cancer patient survival (2,5,11,17,18).Various studies evaluating if psychosocial interventions could affect ...

Dendritic cells (DCs) consist of heterogeneous phenotypic populations and have diverse immunostimulatory functions dependent on both lineage and functional phenotype, but as exceptionally potent antigen-presenting cells, they are targets for generating effective antigen-specific immune responses. A promising replicon particle vector derived from Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) has been reported to transduce murine footpad DCs. However, the receptive DC subset, the degree of restriction for this tropism, and the extent of conservation between rodents and humans have not been well characterized. Using fresh peripheral blood DCs, mononuclear cells, monocyte-derived macrophages, and monocyte-derived DCs, our results demonstrate conservation of VEE replicon particle (VRP) tropism for DCs between humans and rodents. We observed that a subset of immature myeloid DCs is the target population, and that VRP-transduced immature DCs retain intact functional capacity, for example, the ability to resist the cytopathic effects of VRP transduction and the capacity to acquire the mature phenotype. These studies support the demonstration of selective VRP tropism for human DCs and provide further insight into the biology of the VRP vector, its parent virus, and human DCs.

Here, we analyze for the first time the immunological and therapeutic efficacy of a dendritic cell (DC) vaccine based on a cancer-testis antigen, Brother of Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS), an epigenetically acting tumor-promoting transcription factor. Vaccination of mice with DC loaded with truncated form of BORIS (DC/mBORIS) after 4T1 mammary tumor implantation induced strong anti-cancer immunity, inhibited tumor growth (18.75% of mice remained tumor-free), and dramatically lowered the number of spontaneous clonogenic metastases (50% of mice remained metastases-free). Higher numbers of immune effector CD4 and CD8 T cells infiltrated the tumors of vaccinated mice vs. control animals. Vaccination significantly decreased the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) infiltrating the tumor sites, but not MDSCs in the spleens of vaccinated animals. These data suggest that DC-based mBORIS vaccination strategies have significant anti-tumor activity in a therapeutic setting and will be more effective when combined with agents to attenuate tumor-associated immune suppression.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a diverse population with the capacity to respond to a variety of pathogens. Because of their critical role in pathogenesis and Ag-specific adaptive immune responses, DCs are the focus of extensive study and incorporation into a variety of immunotherapeutic strategies. The diversity of DC subsets imposes a substantial challenge to the successful development of DC-based therapies, requiring identification of the involved subset(s) and the potential roles each contributes to the immunologic responses. The recently developed and promising Venezuelan equine encephalitis replicon particle (VRP) vector system has conserved tropism for a subset of myeloid DCs. This immunotherapeutic vector permits in situ targeting of DCs; however, it targets a restricted subset of DCs, which are heretofore uncharacterized. Using a novel technique, we isolated VRP-receptive and -nonreceptive populations from human monocyte-derived DCs. Comparative gene expression analysis revealed significant differential gene expression, supporting the existence of two distinct DC populations. Further analysis identified constitutive expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-32 as a distinguishing characteristic of VRP-receptive DCs. IL-32 transcript was exclusively expressed (>50 fold) in the VRP-receptive DC population relative to the background level of expression in the nonreceptive population. The presence of IL-32 transcript was accompanied by protein expression. These data are the first to identify a subset of immature monocyte-derived DCs constitutively expressing IL-32 and they provide insights into both DC biology and potential mechanisms employed by this potent vector system.

The ability to overcome intrinsic tolerance to a strict "self" tumor-associated antigen (TAA) and successfully treat pre-existing tumor is the most stringent test for anti-tumor immunotherapeutic strategies. Although this capacity has been demonstrated in various models using complicated strategies that may not be readily translated into the clinical arena, straightforward antigen-specific immunotherapeutic strategies in the most stringent models of common epithelial cancers have largely failed to meet this standard. We employed an immunotherapeutic strategy using an alphavirus-based, virus-like replicon particle (VRP), which has in vivo tropism for dendritic cells, to elicit immune responses to the non-mutated TAA rat neu in an aggressive rat mammary tumor model. Using this VRP-based immunotherapeutic strategy targeting a single TAA, we generated effective anti-tumor immunity in the setting of pre-existing tumor resulting in the cure of 36% of rats over multiple experiments, P = 0.002. We also observed down-regulation of rat neu expression in tumors that showed initial responses followed by tumor escape with resumption of rapid tumor growth. These responses were accompanied by significant anti-tumor proliferative responses and CD8+ cellular tumor infiltrates, all of which were restricted to animals receiving the anti-neu immunotherapy. Together these data, obtained in a stringent "self" TAA model, indicate that the VRP-based antigen-specific immunotherapy elicits sufficiently potent immune responses to exert immunologic pressure, selection, and editing of the growing tumors, thus supporting the activity of this straightforward immunotherapy and suggesting that it is a promising platform upon which to build even more potent strategies.

Supplementary Table S1 from Stress, Immunity, and Cervical Cancer: Biobehavioral Outcomes of a Randomized Clinical Trail

<div>Abstract<p><b>Purpose:</b> Cancer diagnosis and treatment imparts chronic stressors affecting quality of life (QOL) and basic physiology. However, the capacity to increase survival by improving QOL is controversial. Patients with cervical cancer, in particular, have severely compromised QOL, providing a population well-suited for the evaluation of novel psychosocial interventions and the exploration of mechanisms by which modulation of the psychoneuroimmune axis might result in improved clinical outcomes.</p><p><b>Experimental Design:</b> A randomized clinical trial was conducted in cervical cancer survivors that were enrolled at ≥13 and <22 months after diagnosis (<i>n</i> = 50), comparing a unique psychosocial telephone counseling (PTC) intervention to usual care. QOL and biological specimens (saliva and blood) were collected at baseline and 4 months post-enrollment.</p><p><b>Results:</b> The PTC intervention yielded significantly improved QOL (<i>P</i> = 0.011). Changes in QOL were significantly associated with a shift of immune system T helper type 1 and 2 (Th1/Th2) bias, as measured by IFN-γ/interleukin-5 ELISpot T lymphocyte precursor frequency; improved QOL being associated with increased Th1 bias (<i>P</i> = 0.012). Serum interleukin-10 and the neuroendocrine variables of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone revealed trends supporting this shift in immunologic stance and suggested a PTC-mediated decrease of the subject's chronic stress response.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> This study documents the utility of a unique PTC intervention and an association between changes in QOL and adaptive immunity (T helper class). These data support the integration of the chronic stress response into biobehavioral models of cancer survivorship and suggests a novel mechanistic hypotheses by which interventions leading to enhanced QOL could result in improved clinical outcome including survival.</p></div>