Enhancement of CD4+ T-cell help reverses the doxorubicin-induced suppression of antigen-specific immune responses in vaccinated mice

Gene Ther. 2008 Aug;15(16):1176-83. doi: 10.1038/gt.2008.79. Epub 2008 May 8.

Abstract

Multimodality treatments that combine conventional cancer therapies with antigen-specific immunotherapy have emerged as promising approaches for the control of cancer. In the current study, we have explored the effect of doxorubicin on the antigen-specific immune responses generated in mice vaccinated with calreticulin (CRT)/E6 and/or Ii-PADRE DNA. We observed that pretreatment with doxorubicin suppressed the E6-specific CD8+ T-cell immune responses generated by CRT/E6 DNA vaccination in vaccinated mice. In contrast, pretreatment with doxorubicin enhanced the PADRE-specific CD4+ T-cell immune responses generated by Ii-PADRE DNA vaccination. Furthermore, coadministration of Ii-PADRE DNA could not only reverse the suppression, but also enhanced the E6-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in CRT/E6-vaccinated mice pretreated with doxorubicin. Finally, treatment with doxorubicin followed by CRT/E6 combined with Ii-PADRE DNA vaccination led to enhanced antitumor effects and prolonged survival in TC-1 tumor-bearing mice. The clinical implications of the current study are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen Presentation
  • Biolistics
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Calreticulin / genetics
  • Cancer Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Doxorubicin / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Genetic Therapy / methods*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Immunotherapy, Active / methods*
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Malaria Vaccines / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasms / immunology
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / genetics
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Calreticulin
  • Cancer Vaccines
  • E6 protein, human papillomavirus type 1
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Malaria Vaccines
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral
  • PADRE 45
  • Doxorubicin