While it is well known that CD4+ T cells and B cells collaborate for antibody production, our group previously reported that CD8+ T cells downregulate alloantibody responses following transplantation. However, the exact mechanism involved in CD8+ T cell-mediated downregulation of alloantibody remains unclear. We also reported that alloantibody production is enhanced when either perforin or FasL is deficient in transplant recipients. Here, we report that CD8+ T cell-deficient transplant recipient mice (high alloantibody producers) exhibit an increased number of primed B cells compared to wild-type transplant recipients. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells require FasL, perforin, and allospecificity to downregulate posttransplant alloantibody production. In vivo CD8-mediated clearance of alloprimed B cells was also FasL- and perforin-dependent. In vitro data demonstrated that recipient CD8+ T cells directly induce apoptosis of alloprimed IgG1+ B cells in co-culture in an allospecific and MHC class I-dependent fashion. Altogether these data are consistent with the interpretation that CD8+ T cells downregulate posttransplant alloantibody production by FasL- and perforin-dependent direct elimination of alloprimed IgG1+ B cells.

BackgroundExtracellular human sulfatases modulate growth factor signaling by alteration of the heparin/heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) 6-O-sulfation state. HSPGs bind to numerous growth factor ligands including fibroblast growth factors (FGF), epidermal growth factors (EGF), and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF), and are critically important in the context of cancer cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. We hypothesized that sulfatase activity in the tumor microenvironment would regulate tumor growth in vivo.MethodsWe established a model of stable expression of sulfatases in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and purified recombinant human Sulfatase 2 (rhSulf2) for exogenous administration. In vitro studies were performed to measure effects on breast cancer cell invasion and proliferation, and groups were statistically compared using Student's t-test. The effects of hSulf2 on tumor progression were tested using in vivo xenografts with two methods. First, MDA-MB-231 cells stably expressing hSulf1, hSulf2, or both hSulf1/hSulf2 were grown as xenografts and the resulting tumor growth and vascularization was compared to controls. Secondly, wild type MDA-MB-231 xenografts were treated by short-term intratumoral injection with rhSulf2 or vehicle during tumor growth. Ultrasound analysis was also used to complement caliper measurement to monitor tumor growth. In vivo studies were statistically analyzed using Student's t test.ResultsIn vitro, stable expression of hSulf2 or administration of rhSulf2 in breast cancer cells decreased cell proliferation and invasion, corresponding to an inhibition of ERK activation. Stable expression of the sulfatases in xenografts significantly suppressed tumor growth, with complete regression of tumors expressing both hSulf1 and hSulf2 and significantly smaller tumor volumes in groups expressing hSulf1 or hSulf2 compared to control xenografts. Despite significant suppression of tumor volume, sulfatases did not affect vascular density within the tumors. By contrast, transient exogenous treatment of MDA-MB-231 xenografts with rhSulf2 was not sufficient to inhibit or reverse tumor growth.ConclusionThese data indicate that in vivo progression of human breast cancer xenografts can be inhibited with sulfatase expression, and therapeutic effect requires constant delivery at the tumor site. Our results support a direct effect of sulfatases on tumor growth or invasion, rather than an effect in the stromal compartment.

T regulatory cells (Treg) avert autoimmunity but their increased levels in melanoma confer a poor prognosis. To explore the basis for Treg accumulation in melanoma, we evaluated chemokine expression in patients. A 5-fold increase was documented in the Treg chemoattractants CCL22 and CCL1 in melanoma-affected skin versus unaffected skin, as accompanied by infiltrating FoxP3+ T cells. In parallel, there was a ~2-fold enhancement in expression of CCR4 in circulating Treg but not T effector cells. We hypothesized that redirecting Treg away from tumors might suppress autoimmune side-effects caused by immune checkpoint therapeutics now used widely in the clinic. In assessing this hypothesis, we observed a marked increase in skin Treg in mice vaccinated with CCL22, with repetitive vaccination sufficient to limit Treg accumulation and melanoma growth in the lungs of animals challenged by tumor cell injection, whether using a prevention or treatment protocol design. The observed change in Treg accumulation in this setting could not be explained by Treg conversion. Overall, our findings offered a preclinical proof of concept for the potential use of CCL22 delivered by local injection as a strategy to enhance the efficacious response to immune checkpoint therapy while suppressing its autoimmune side-effects.

Previous estimates of poorer outcome in patients with ICH might not apply to contemporary management protocols, especially in patients with a smaller ICH volume. Outcome ranges in various risk categories and modeling of treatment eligibility will help project more realistic prognostication and assist with the design of future trials.