A dendritic cell population generated by a fusion of GM-CSF and IL-21 induces tumor-antigen-specific immunity

J Immunol. 2010 Dec 15;185(12):7358-66. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1002201. Epub 2010 Nov 12.

Abstract

We have previously shown that the fusion of GM-CSF and IL-21 (GIFT-21) possesses a potent immune stimulatory effect on myeloid cells. In this study, we define the effect of GIFT-21 on naive murine monocytes (GIFT-21 dendritic cells [DCs]), which express increased levels of Gr-1, CD45R, MHC class I, CD80, CD86, and CXCR4 and suppress CD11c and MHC class II. Compared with conventional dendritic cells, GIFT-21 DCs produced substantially more CCL2, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-α and induced significantly greater production of IFN-γ by CD8(+) T cells in MHC class I-restricted Ag presentation assays. B16 melanoma and D2F2 Neu breast cancer growth was inhibited in mice treated with Ag-naive GIFT-21 DCs. This effect was lost in CD8(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) mice and when mice were treated with β(2)-microglobulin-deficient GIFT-21 DCs, indicating that GIFT-21 DCs migrated to and sampled from the tumors to present tumor Ags to CCL2 recruited CD8(+) T cells via MHC class I. We propose that autologous GIFT-21 DCs may serve as a cell therapy platform for the treatment of cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Antigen Presentation / drug effects
  • Antigen Presentation / genetics
  • Antigen Presentation / immunology
  • Antigens, Differentiation / genetics
  • Antigens, Differentiation / immunology
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Movement / immunology
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / transplantation
  • Female
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / pharmacology*
  • Immunity, Cellular / drug effects*
  • Immunity, Cellular / genetics
  • Immunity, Cellular / immunology
  • Interleukins / immunology*
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / immunology*
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / therapy
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / immunology*
  • Melanoma / therapy
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Transplantation, Autologous

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Cytokines
  • Interleukins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • interleukin-21