OX40 is a potent co-stimulatory receptor that can potentiate T cell receptor signaling on the surface of T lymphocytes, leading to their activation by a specifically recognized antigen. In particular, OX40 engagement by ligands present on dendritic cells dramatically increases the proliferation, effector function and survival of T cells. Preclinical studies have shown that OX40 agonists increase anti-tumor immunity and improve tumor-free survival. In this study, we performed a Phase I clinical trial using a mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) that agonizes human OX40 signaling in patients with advanced cancer. Patients treated with one course of the anti-OX40 mAb showed an acceptable toxicity profile and regression of at least one metastatic lesion in 12/30 patients. Mechanistically, this treatment increased T and B cell responses to reporter antigen immunizations, led to preferential upregulation of OX40 on CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and increased the anti-tumor reactivity of T and B cells in patients with melanoma. Our findings clinically validate OX40 as a potent immune-stimulating target for treatment in cancer patients, providing a generalizable tool to favorably influence the antitumor properties of circulating T cells, B cells and intratumoral regulatory T cells.

Purpose We previously reported that autophagy in tumor cells plays a critical role in cross-presentation of tumor antigens and that autophagosomes are efficient antigen carriers for cross-priming of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells. Here we sought to characterize further the autophagosome-enriched vaccine named DRibble (DRiPs-containing blebs), derived from tumor cells after inhibition of protein degradation and provide insights into the mechanisms responsible for their efficacy as a novel cancer immunotherapy. Experimental Design DRibbles were characterized by western blot and light or transmission electron microscopy. The efficiency of cross-presentation mediated by DRibbles was first compared with that of whole tumor cells and pure proteins. The mechanisms of antigen cross-presentation by DRibbles were analyzed and the anti-tumor efficacy of the DRibble vaccine was tested in 3LL Lewis lung tumors and B16F10 melanoma. Results The DRibbles sequester both long-lived and short-lived proteins, including defective ribosomal products (DRiPs), as well as damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules exemplified by HSP90, HSP94, calreticulin, and HMGB1. DRibbles express ligands for CLEC9A, a newly described C-type lectin receptor expressed by a subset of conventional DCs (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and cross-presentation was partially CLEC9A-dependent. Furthermore, this autophagy assisted antigen cross presentation pathway involved both caveolae- and clathrin-mediated endocytosis and ERAD machinery. It depends on proteasome and TAP1, but lysosome functions of APCs. Importantly, DC loaded with autophagosome-enriched DRibbles can eradicate 3LL Lewis lung tumors and significantly delay the growth of B16F10 melanoma. Conclusion These data documented the unique characteristics and potent anti-tumor efficacy of the autophagosome-based DRibble vaccine. The efficacy of DRibble cancer vaccine will be further tested in clinical trials.

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Hydrogen embrittlement is a complex phenomenon, involving several lengthand timescales, that affects a large class of metals. It can significantly reduce the ductility and load-bearing capacity and cause cracking and catastrophic brittle failures at stresses below the yield stress of susceptible materials. Despite a large research effort in attempting to understand the mechanisms of failure and in developing potential mitigating solutions, hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms are still not completely understood. There are controversial opinions in the literature regarding the underlying mechanisms and related experimental evidence supporting each of these theories. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed review up to the current state of the art on the effect of hydrogen on the degradation of metals, with a particular focus on steels. Here, we describe the effect of hydrogen in steels from the atomistic to the continuum scale by reporting theoretical evidence supported by quantum calculation and modern experimental characterisation methods, macroscopic effects that influence the mechanical properties of steels and established damaging mechanisms for the embrittlement of steels. Furthermore, we give an insight into current approaches and new mitigation strategies used to design new steels resistant to hydrogen embrittlement.

Modern wide field-of-view atom probes permit observation of a wide range of crystallographic features that can be used to calibrate the tomographic reconstruction of the analyzed volume. In this study, methodologies to determine values of the geometric parameters involved in the tomographic reconstruction of atom probe data sets are presented and discussed. The influence of the tip to electrode distance and specimen temperature on these parameters is explored. Significantly, their influence is demonstrated to be very limited, indicating a relatively wide regime of experimental parameters space for sound atom probe tomography (APT) experiments. These methods have been used on several specimens and material types, and the results indicate that the reconstruction parameters are specific to each specimen. Finally, it is shown how an accurate calibration of the reconstruction enables improvements to the quality and reliability of the microscopy and microanalysis capabilities of the atom probe.

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This article addresses gaps in definitions and a lack of standard measurement techniques to assess the spatial resolution in atom probe tomography. This resolution is known to be anisotropic, being better in the depth than laterally. Generally the presence of atomic planes in the tomographic reconstruction is considered as being a sufficient proof of the quality of the spatial resolution of the instrument. Based on advanced spatial distribution maps, an analysis methodology that interrogates the local neighborhood of the atoms within the tomographic reconstruction, it is shown how both the in-depth and the lateral resolution can be quantified. The influences of the crystallography and the temperature are investigated, and models are proposed to explain the observed results. We demonstrate that the absolute value of resolution is specimenspecific. 2/23

There is growing evidence that engagement of OX40 (CD134), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, can directly stimulate antigen-specific CD8 + T cells. It has been shown that CD8 + T cells express OX40 following activation, but the response of antigenspecific CD8 + T cells to OX40 stimulation has not been fully characterized. We utilized an antigen-specific transgenic CD8 + T cell model (OT-I) to determine if OX40 engagement can boost the generation of antigen-specific CD8 + T cell memory. Our results demonstrate that enhanced OX40 costimulation, via an agonist anti-OX40 antibody, increases CD25 and phospho-Akt expression on the antigen-specific CD8 + T cells and significantly increases the generation of long-lived antigen-specific CD8 + memory T cells. The increased numbers of memory CD8 + T cells generated via anti-OX40 treatment still required the presence of CD4 + T cells for their long-term maintenance in vivo. In addition, anti-OX40 costimulation greatly enhanced antigenspecific CD8 + T cell recall responses. These data show that OX40 engagement in vivo increases the number of antigen-specific CD8 + memory T cells surviving after antigen challenge and has implications for the development of more potent vaccines against pathogens and cancer.