In the case of cancer immunotherapy, nanostructures are attractive because they can carry all of the necessary components of a vaccine, including both antigen and adjuvant. Herein, we explore how spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), an emerging class of nanotherapeutic materials, can be used to deliver peptide antigens and nucleic acid adjuvants to raise immune responses that kill cancer cells, reduce (or eliminate) tumor growth, and extend life in three established mouse tumor models. Three SNA structures that are compositionally nearly identical but structurally different markedly vary in their abilities to cross-prime antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and raise subsequent antitumor immune responses. Importantly, the most effective structure is the one that exhibits synchronization of maximum antigen presentation and costimulatory marker expression. In the human papillomavirus-associated TC-1 model, vaccination with this structure improved overall survival, induced the complete elimination of tumors from 30% of the mice, and conferred curative protection from tumor rechallenges, consistent with immunological memory not otherwise achievable. The antitumor effect of SNA vaccination is dependent on the method of antigen incorporation within the SNA structure, underscoring the modularity of this class of nanostructures and the potential for the deliberate design of new vaccines, thereby defining a type of rational cancer vaccinology.

The role of IL-33 particularly in tumor growth and tumor immunity remains ill defined. We show here that exogenous IL-33 can induce robust antitumor effect through a CD8+ T cell-dependent mechanism. Systemic administration of recombinant IL-33 (rIL-33) alone was sufficient to inhibit growth of established tumors in both transplant and de novo melanoma tumorigenesis models. Notably, in addition to a direct action on CD8+ T cell expansion and IFN-γ production, rIL-33 therapy activated myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in tumor-bearing mice, restored antitumor T cell activity and increased antigen cross-presentation within the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, combination therapy with rIL-33 and agonistic anti-CD40 antibodies demonstrated synergistic antitumor activity. Specifically, MyD88, an essential component of the IL-33 signaling pathway, was required for the IL-33-mediated increase in mDC number and upregulation of costimulatory molecule expression. Importantly, we identified that the IL-33 receptor ST2, MyD88 and STAT1 cooperate to induce costimulatory molecule expression on mDCs in response to rIL-33. Our study has thus revealed a novel IL-33-ST2-MyD88-STAT1 axis that restores mDC activation and maturation in established cancer, and thereby the magnitude of anti-tumor immune responses, suggesting a potential use of rIL-33 as a new immunotherapy option to treat established cancer.

Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) can be potent sequence-specific stimulators of antigen presenting cells (APCs). When loaded with peptide antigens, they can be used to activate the immune system to train T-cells to specifically kill cancer cells. Herein, the role of peptide chemical conjugation to the DNA, which is used to load SNAs with antigens via hybridization, is explored in the context of APC activation. Importantly, though the antigen chemistry does not impede TLR-9 regulated APC activation, it significantly augments the downstream T-cell response in terms of both activation and proliferation. A comparison of three linker types, (1) noncleavable, (2) cleavable but nontraceless, and (3) traceless, reveals up to an 8-fold improvement in T-cell proliferation when the traceless linker is used. This work underscores the critical importance of the choice of conjugation chemistry in vaccine development.

Although a number of studies have recently explored the contribution of the adaptive immunity in interleukin 33 (IL-33)-mediated antitumor effects, innate immune involvement has been poorly characterized. Utilizing Rag1−/− mice (lacking T and B lymphocytes), we show here that either systemic administration of recombinant IL-33 or ectopic expression of IL-33 in melanoma cells is sufficient to inhibit tumor growth independent of adaptive antitumor immunity. We have demonstrated that IL-33-mediated antitumor effects depend on expansion and activation of NK cells. Interestingly, IL-33 also promoted the expansion of active type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) via its receptor, ST2, which in turn inhibited NK activation and cytotoxicity. This IL-33-induced ILC2 activity coincided with greater expression of the immunosuppressive ecto-enzyme CD73. Removal of CD73 from ILC2s in culture with NK cells resulted in markedly increased activation levels in NK cells, offering a potential mechanism by which ILC2s might suppress NK cell-mediated tumor killing. Thus, our data reveal an important contribution of IL-33-induced ILC2 to tumor growth by weakening NK cell activation and tumor killing, regardless of adaptive immunity.

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Agonist antibodies (Ab) directed against costimulatory molecules on the surface of antigen-primed T cells are in various stages of pre-clinical and clinical trials, albeit with limited therapeutic benefit as single agents. The underlying mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate an inhibitory role of ecto-enzyme CD73 for agonistic anti-4-1BB/CD137 Ab therapy. In particular, anti-4-1BB treatment preferentially drives CD73− effector T cell response for tumor inhibition. Anti-CD73 neutralizing Ab further improves anti-4-1BB therapy associated with enhanced anti-tumor T cell immunity. However, the TGF-β-rich tumor milieu confers resistance to anti-4-1BB therapy by sustaining CD73 expression primarily on infiltrating CD8+ T cells across several tumor models. TGF-β blockade results in downregulation of CD73 expression on infiltrating T cells and sensitizes resistant tumors to agonistic anti-4-1BB therapy. Thus, our findings identify a mechanism of action for more effective clinical targeting of 4-1BB or likely other costimulatory molecules.

α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is currently used in chemopreventive regimens primarily for its conventional direct anti-carcinogenesis activity. However, little is known about the effect of decarboxylase (ODC) inhibition by DFMO on antitumor immune responses. We showed here that pharmacologic blockade of ODC by DFMO inhibited tumor growth in intact immunocompetent mice, but abrogated in the immunodeficient Rag1−/− mice, suggesting that antitumor effect of DFMO is dependent on the induction of adaptive anti-tumor T cell immune responses. Depletion of CD8+ T cells impeded the tumor-inhibiting advantage of DFMO. Moreover, DFMO treatment enhanced antitumor CD8+ T cell infiltration and IFN-γ production, and augmented the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy. Importantly, DFMO impaired Gr1+CD11b+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) suppressive activity through at least two mechanisms, including reducing arginase expression and activity, and inhibiting CD39/CD73-mediated pathway. MDSCs were one primary cellular target of DFMO as indicated by both adoptive transfer and MDSC depletion analyses. Our findings establish a new role of ODC inhibition by DFMO as a viable and effective immunological adjunct in effective cancer treatment, thereby adding to the growing list of chemoimmunotherapeutic applications of these agents.

Emerging studies suggest that dominant peripheral tolerance is a major mechanism of immune escape in disseminated leukemia. Using an established murine acute myeloid leukemia (AML) model, we here show that systemic administration of recombinant IL-33 dramatically inhibits the leukemia growth and prolongs the survival of leukemia-bearing mice in a CD8+ T cell dependent manner. Exogenous IL-33 treatment enhanced anti-leukemia activity by increasing the expansion and IFN-γ production of leukemia-reactive CD8+ T cells. Moreover, IL-33 promoted dendritic cell (DC) maturation and activation in favor of its cross presentation ability to evoke a vigorous anti-leukemia immune response. Finally, we found that the combination of PD-1 blockade with IL-33 further prolonged the survival, with half of the mice achieving complete regression. Our data establish a role of exogenous IL-33 in reversing T cell tolerance, and suggest its potential clinical implication into leukemia immunotherapy.