Enhanced antimetastatic effect of fetal liver kinase 1 extracellular domain and interferon-gamma fusion gene-modified dendritic cell vaccination

Gene Ther. 2005 May;12(9):742-50. doi: 10.1038/sj.gt.3302470.

Abstract

Antiangiogenic immunotherapy benefits from targeting antigens expressed on genetically stable endothelial cells and represents a novel modality for cancer treatment. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2, also known as flk1 in mouse) mediated VEGF signaling is the key rate-limiting step in angiogenesis. Blockade of the flk1 signaling pathway can significantly inhibit tumor cell-induced angiogenesis and lead to inhibition of tumor metastasis. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a pleiotropic cytokine, which plays an important role in cell-mediated immunity. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that immunization of mice with soluble flk1 (sflk1) and IFN-gamma fusion gene-transfected dendritic cells (DC-sflk1-IFN-gamma) would induce a potent CTL response to flk1, leading to an inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis and metastasis. Our data show that immunization of mice with sflk1 gene-modified DC (DC-sflk1) could induce a CTL response to flk1, leading to profound inhibition of tumor-cell-induced angiogenesis and metastasis. However, more striking antimetastatic effects were achieved through induction of enhanced CTL response to flk1 and augmented inhibition of angiogenesis when mice were immunized with DC-sflk1-IFN-gamma. In vivo T-cell subset depletion experiments showed that CD8(+) T cells were mainly responsible for this antimetastatic effect. Our data extend the notion that DC-based active antiangiogenic immunotherapy is an effective modality for cancer treatment, and show that the antitumor efficacy of this strategy can be improved by combination with DC-based cytokine immunotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology*
  • Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / blood supply
  • Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / immunology
  • Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / secondary
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Electroporation
  • Female
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunization / methods
  • Interferon-gamma / genetics*
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Melanoma, Experimental / blood supply
  • Melanoma, Experimental / immunology
  • Melanoma, Experimental / secondary
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / blood supply*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / immunology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / prevention & control*
  • Plasmids
  • Transfection
  • Vaccines, DNA / immunology
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / genetics*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / immunology

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Vaccines, DNA
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2