Adoptive transfer of T cells that express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is an approved immunotherapy that may be curative for some hematological cancers. To better understand the therapeutic ...mechanism of action, we systematically analyzed CAR signaling in human primary T cells by mass spectrometry. When we compared the interactomes and the signaling pathways activated by distinct CAR-T cells that shared the same antigen-binding domain but differed in their intracellular domains and their in vivo antitumor efficacy, we found that only second-generation CARs induced the expression of a constitutively phosphorylated form of CD3ζ that resembled the endogenous species. This phenomenon was independent of the choice of costimulatory domains, or the hinge/transmembrane region. Rather, it was dependent on the size of the intracellular domains. Moreover, the second-generation design was also associated with stronger phosphorylation of downstream secondary messengers, as evidenced by global phosphoproteome analysis. These results suggest that second-generation CARs can activate additional sources of CD3ζ signaling, and this may contribute to more intense signaling and superior antitumor efficacy that they display compared to third-generation CARs. Moreover, our results provide a deeper understanding of how CARs interact physically and/or functionally with endogenous T cell molecules, which will inform the development of novel optimized immune receptors.
Expression of HDAC11 may be involved in myeloid cell biology.
Epigenetic changes in chromatin structure have been recently associated with the deregulated expression of critical genes in normal and ...malignant processes. HDAC11, the newest member of the HDAC family of enzymes, functions as a negative regulator of IL‐10 expression in APCs, as previously described by our lab. However, at the present time, its role in other hematopoietic cells, specifically in neutrophils, has not been fully explored. In this report, for the first time, we present a novel physiologic role for HDAC11 as a multifaceted regulator of neutrophils. Thus far, we have been able to demonstrate a lineage‐restricted overexpression of HDAC11 in neutrophils and committed neutrophil precursors (promyelocytes). Additionally, we show that HDAC11 appears to associate with the transcription machinery, possibly regulating the expression of inflammatory and migratory genes in neutrophils. Given the prevalence of neutrophils in the peripheral circulation and their central role in the first line of defense, our results highlight a unique and novel role for HDAC11. With the consideration of the emergence of new, selective HDAC11 inhibitors, we believe that our findings will have significant implications in a wide range of diseases spanning malignancies, autoimmunity, and inflammation.
APCs are critical in T cell activation and in the induction of T cell tolerance. Epigenetic modifications of specific genes in the APC play a key role in this process, and among them histone ...deacetylases (HDACs) have emerged as key participants. HDAC6, one of the members of this family of enzymes, has been shown to be involved in regulation of inflammatory and immune responses. In this study, to our knowledge we show for the first time that genetic or pharmacologic disruption of HDAC6 in macrophages and dendritic cells results in diminished production of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 and induction of inflammatory APCs that effectively activate Ag-specific naive T cells and restore the responsiveness of anergic CD4(+) T cells. Mechanistically, we have found that HDAC6 forms a previously unknown molecular complex with STAT3, association that was detected in both the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of the APC. By using HDAC6 recombinant mutants we identified the domain comprising amino acids 503-840 as being required for HDAC6 interaction with STAT3. Furthermore, by re-chromatin immunoprecipitation we confirmed that HDAC6 and STAT3 are both recruited to the same DNA sequence within the Il10 gene promoter. Of note, disruption of this complex by knocking down HDAC6 resulted in decreased STAT3 phosphorylation--but no changes in STAT3 acetylation--as well as diminished recruitment of STAT3 to the Il10 gene promoter region. The additional demonstration that a selective HDAC6 inhibitor disrupts this STAT3/IL-10 tolerogenic axis points to HDAC6 as a novel molecular target in APCs to overcome immune tolerance and tips the balance toward T cell immunity.
Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, and its incidence has been increasing faster than any other cancer. Although immunogenic, melanoma is not effectively cleared by host immunity. In this study, ...we investigate the therapeutic, antimelanoma potential of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) panobinostat (LBH589) by assessing both its cytotoxic effects on melanoma cells as well as enhancement of immune recognition of melanoma. Utilizing murine and human melanoma cell lines, we analyzed the effects of LBH589 on proliferation and survival. In addition, we analyzed the expression of several immunologically relevant surface markers and melanoma differentiation antigens, and the ability of LBH589-treated melanoma to activate antigen-specific T cells. Finally, we assessed the in-vivo effects of LBH589 in a mouse melanoma model. Low nanomolar concentrations of LBH589 inhibit the growth of all melanoma cell lines tested, but not normal melanocytes. This inhibition is characterized by increased apoptosis as well as a G1 cell cycle arrest. In addition, LBH589 augments the expression of major histocompatibility complex and costimulatory molecules on melanoma cells leading to an increased ability to activate antigen-specific T cells. Treatment also increases expression of melanoma differentiation antigens. In vivo, LBH589 treatment of melanoma-bearing mice results in a significant increase in survival. However, in immunodeficient mice, the therapeutic effect of LBH589 is lost. Taken together, LBH589 exerts a dual effect upon melanoma cells by affecting not only growth/survival but also by increasing melanoma immunogenicity. These effects provide the framework for future evaluation of this HDAC inhibitor in melanoma treatment.
AIM:To evaluate how widely Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) HopE and HopV porins are expressed among Chilean isolates and how seroprevalent they are among infected patients in Chile.METHODS: H. ...pylori hopE and hopV genes derived from strain CHCTX-1 were cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli AD494 (DE3). Gel-purified porins were used to prepare polyclonal antibodies. The presence of both genes was tested by PCR in a collection of H. pylori clinical isolates an...
•HDAC6 interacts with HDAC11 in antigen presenting cells.•HDAC6 is a positive regulator of IL10 production.•Nuclear role of HDAC6 as transcriptional regulator.•HDACs as modulators of the APC ...plasticity to trigger T-cell activation.
The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 is a key modulator of immune responses. A better understanding of the regulation of this cytokine offers the possibility of tipping the balance of the immune response toward either tolerance, or enhanced immune responses. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) have been widely described as negative regulators of transcriptional regulation, and in this context, the primarily nuclear protein HDAC11 was shown to repress il-10 gene transcriptional activity in antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Here we report that another HDAC, HDAC6, primarily a cytoplasmic protein, associates with HDAC11 and modulates the expression of IL-10 as a transcriptional activator. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of two different HDACs being recruited to the same gene promoter to dictate divergent transcriptional responses. This dynamic interaction results in dynamic changes in the expression of IL-10 and might help to explain the intrinsic plasticity of the APC to determine T-cell activation versus T-cell tolerance.